Tricks of the Trade
by Ennuit
Summary: Puck knew there were risks to asking Loki to help with Alexander Xanatos's plan to become a "self-made man," but the letter had been very specific that Loki was necessary and who was he to argue with his future self? - "You want me to risk my freedom on some worthless trinket?" "To Mr. Stark, it is indeed worthless, but not to us." [Knowledge of Gargoyles not necessary to enjoy]
1. Invitation

"Is he there?"

Alexander quickly peeked around the corner and stole a look at Loki sitting at the library table calmly browsing through a stack of books. "Yep, he's there," said the teen, running a hand through his bright red hair, "I can't believe the guy who tried to invade New York with an alien army hangs out at the public library while he's on parole." Shaking his head in disbelief, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"No need to be nervous, Alex. It's not like your future rides on his answer or anything," said a disembodied voice from beside the boy.

"Be quiet, Puck," the boy grumbled.

"Just try to imagine you're a cocky all-powerful demigod," Puck's voice recommended cheerfully, "So basically just act like you normally do."

"Shut up and let me concentrate," Alex said, rolling his head from side to side like a boxer loosening his muscles before a match, "You've got the easy part. All you have to do is stand there being invisible."

"Make sure to remember the shoes this time," Puck's voice added.

Alex's body slowly began to expand. His meager frame morphed into a muscular build. His sharp youthful features transformed into a strong masculine face. His shaggy red hair became long blond locks. Soon, an exact duplicate of Thor in a simple T-shirt and jeans stood where Alex had been moments before.

"Perfect. Break a leg, kid," said Puck's voice.

Thor's form nodded and rounded the corner towards Loki.

As Thor approached, Loki put down his book and looked up in annoyance. "I know you and your friends are tracking me," Loki said in a hushed voice, "but you could at least have the courtesy not to approach me in public. I'm trying to keep a low profile, you know? And you don't exactly blend in, even in those stupid Midgardian clothes."

"I've been invited to a party," Thor announced.

Loki sighed, "And this concerns me how?"

"I want you to go with me."

"You can't be serious..."

"It would do you good to get out and socialize, brother."

Loki glanced around as curious eyes were already starting to turn their way. "Fine, fine," he hissed, "Just promise never to visit me here again."

"Cool," Thor answered, "It's tonight at 8. You'll need a suit and tie."

Loki looked questioningly at Thor and echoed, "Cool?"

Thor suddenly looked embarrassed, "Ah, I meant 'good.' Just trying to blend in."

"Well, you can blend in better by going away," Loki spat.

"Right," Thor said quickly, "See you tonight." And with that, Thor rushed away, almost knocking over an empty chair on his way to the exit.

Flustered, Loki sank into his chair and attempted to hide behind the book he was reading.

Once he was out of sight around the corner, Thor heaved a heavy sigh of relief, and his impressive physique melted away revealing Alex's lean form.

"That was close," said Puck's snide voice.

"Shit, I know," Alex said to his invisible companion, leaning back and letting his head fall with a thud against the wall behind him, "But we're set now. He's coming."

"Leave it to you to almost screw up the inevitable," Puck's voice continued.

"Hey," Alex grinned, "I always get what I want."

Puck sighed and whispered to himself, "Just like your father..."

* * *

Loki shifted uncomfortably in his suit, absentmindedly adjusting his tie, "I can't believe you convinced me to attend this abhorrent event."

Thor examined the array of buttons in the elevator and pressed the one at the top for the floor marked "Castle," then looked sideways at Loki. "You were the one who begged to come, brother. Something about needing to get out of your 'prison' at Stark Tower."

"What are you talking about? I didn't-"

But he was interrupted as the elevator doors opened to reveal an already tipsy Tony Stark who turned around smiling and yelled a greeting to them. Tony put his arm around Thor's shoulder and led them into the crowd. "This is crazy, huh? Who the hell puts an actual castle on top of their skyscraper? This David Xanatos guy is worse than me. And all this for his son's 18th birthday?!"

Loki sighed and looked out into the huge room that had once been the banquet hall of a medieval castle, now filled with a sea of suits and evening dresses milling around a cocktail party, already regretting his decision to attend. He made a meager attempt to socialize along with Thor, but soon got sick of it all and left Thor's side for the bar, the one place he assumed he could be on his own without attracting much attention.

As if on cue, the moment he sat down, he was approached by a smartly dressed man with short blond hair and large wire-frame glasses. The man stood stiffly with his left hand buried in the pocket of his suit jacket.

"Enjoying the party?" the man offered dryly. With his solemn countenance, he might as well have been asking about a funeral instead of a party.

Loki repressed a groan, "It's hard to enjoy when your reputation precedes you."

"The name is Owen Burnett," the man said, offering his right hand to shake, his face remaining expressionless.

Loki hesitated a moment, but took the offered hand, "Loki. But I assume you knew that already."

"As you said, your reputation precedes you."

"Well, I have to give you credit for being the first person I've been introduced to in this loathsome realm who hasn't looked at me with either revulsion or terror."

"Give it a few months and they won't even remember your name," Owen said, sliding onto the bar stool next to Loki.

Loki found himself strangely insulted by this statement.

As if reading his mind, the blond man continued, "Don't take it the wrong way. It has nothing to do with you. They wouldn't even remember months later if giant bat-winged creatures were found living in their city."

Loki just stared at him for a moment. Owen looked away and adjusted his tie anxiously with his right hand while his other hand remained firmly in his jacket pocket.

"Am I making you nervous?" Loki smirked.

"On the contrary," Owen cleared his throat, "Let's just say it's been a long time since I've met a kindred spirit."

Loki could have laughed out loud, "Kindred spirit?" Then, he raised an eyebrow, "Wait, you're not a 'fan,' are you?" He had already had an unfortunate encounter with a group of crazed women trying to kneel and propose to him on the street.

"No," Owen stated bluntly, although for some reason he avoided Loki's gaze. "However, I must admit that my motives in speaking with you are not entirely personal."

For some reason, Loki was not surprised.

"I have a business proposition-"

"I'm not interested," Loki turned away abruptly.

Owen grabbed hold of Loki's wrist to stop him from leaving his seat and lifted it between them. "In return, I can do something about these." He tapped his finger on the metal bracelet Loki wore before letting go of his wrist. The magic-suppressing bracelets were part of the deal Loki made with SHIELD that allowed him relative freedom while living in New York.

Loki quickly glanced around to see if anyone was watching them before turning back to Owen. He was undeniably interested, almost licking his lips with excitement. The offer was way too good to be true, but nonetheless worth further investigation_._ "What is this proposition?"

"You're currently living in Stark Tower, correct?"

Loki nodded carefully, but he didn't like where this was going.

"My employer would like assistance in procuring a certain object from your residence."

Loki's eyes narrowed, "And who is your employer?"

"Mr. Alexander Xanatos."

Loki snorted, "The child being celebrated by this absurd event?"

"Indeed."

"And who are you? His baby-sitter?"

"No, I'm his personal tutor and bodyguard."

Loki laughed out loud, "Bodyguard? You?"

"One could hardly compare your physique to that of your brother, but I do not presume to underestimate you."

Loki raised an eyebrow, somewhat intrigued by this curious comment. He was unsure whether the man meant to insult him, flatter him, or threaten him.

Owen looked unfazed as he reached into his jacket and pulled out a business card, handing it to Loki. "If you're interested, we can meet in a more private location to discuss the details. As you have no doubt gathered, a certain level of discretion in this matter would be greatly appreciated."

Loki looked over the business card, but his gaze was drawn to his metal bracelets. He looked back at Owen critically, "How do I know you can really do something about the bracelets?"

"I work for the Xanatos family," Owen said matter-of-factly, "Do you really think Mr. Stark is the only ambitious billionaire in New York with a secret research laboratory and a keen interest in advanced weaponry and technology?"

Loki's imagination kicked into high gear. Perhaps making an ally out of Alexander Xanatos was not such a bad idea. After all, he was the young son of a powerful family who at least seemed to have more flexible morals than Stark.

"Additionally," Owen continued, meaningfully placing both hands on the counter, right hand clasping his left fist, "We have had some experience dealing with magic as well."

Loki stared in shock at the man's hands. His left fist appeared to be made of solid stone. Clearly, he wasn't lying about encountering magic.

"I see," Loki said slowly, "Where can we meet?"

"The address is on the back of my card."

Loki turned over the business card Owen had given him, confirming a hand-written address on the back. He frowned slightly at the thought that Owen had so much confidence that he would accept.

"Does tomorrow at noon work for you?" Owen continued.

Loki nodded.

"Excellent. Alexander and I will see you there," Owen stood and gave Loki brief nod farewell before moving back into the mass of people.

From his seat at the bar, Loki's eyes followed Owen as he made his way over to a red-headed teenager in an expensive-looking suit towards center of the crowd. Owen whispered something into the boy's ear, and the boy nodded.

Loki looked away and sat pensively for a moment before standing up and looking for Thor. He figured enough time had passed that he could leave the party without too much complaint.


	2. Negotiation

Loki knocked on the door of the apartment address that Owen had given him. A moment later, Owen answered the door wearing the exact same suit and red tie combination Loki had met him in at the party and motioned for him to come inside.

In the small living area within, Alex was leaning back in an armchair with his hands behind his head resting his feet on the coffee table and looking for all the world like he owned the place. His red hair looked like it hadn't been cut in ages and lay in disarray. A large tattoo of a stylized fox head peaked out from under the sleeve of his faded T-shirt. He regarded Loki critically for a moment before Owen cleared his throat and gave the teen a meaningful look. Sighing, the red-head stood up and made his way over to Loki offering an unenthusiastic handshake. "Alex," he stated simply.

Loki had already decided that he hated the boy and made no attempt to hide it. "Loki of Asgard."

Alex shoved his hands into his pant pockets and looked lazily at Loki, "So, was the whole horns-on-the-helmet thing your idea?"

Loki narrowed his eyes at the youth. Working with Owen was one thing, but Loki was clearly having second thoughts about doing any favors for this disrespectful child.

Sensing the rising tension, Owen stepped in and pulled Alex aside. "Alexander, wait in the kitchen and I'll talk to Loki first."

Alex rolled his eyes and sulked over to the adjoining kitchen area a few feet away. He sat down, took out his phone, and started typing away as he twirled mindlessly on a stool at the kitchen counter.

Owen glanced at Loki, "Please have a seat."

Loki was tempted to leave right then and there, but then he remembered the possibility of being free of his bracelets. Deciding he would at least hear the other man out first, he crossed his arms and responded curtly, "I'd rather stand."

"As you wish," Owen said, revealing no emotion as always.

"So," Loki said, hoping to be done with this as soon as possible, "What is it you want me to steal from Stark Tower?"

"You won't be stealing anything. We'll simply be borrowing it for a short time."

"I see," Loki said skeptically, "So, what is it? An Iron Man suit?"

A burst of laughter erupted from the direction of the kitchen. "Are you kidding me?" Alex chuckled, his eyes never leaving his cell phone screen, "My dad built one of those twenty years ago... and it looked a hell of a lot cooler too."

Loki tried to ignore the boy and kept focused on Owen, "What then?"

"A small metal artifact that Mr. Stark recently acquired for his private art collection."

"You want me to risk my freedom on some worthless trinket?" Loki hissed.

"To Mr. Stark, yes, it is indeed worthless," Owen explained, "But not to us."

Loki waited for further explanation, but Owen offered none.

"The gallery where it is currently displayed has minimal security," Owen continued, "So the process of gaining access to it should be relatively straight forward with little risk to you."

Loki nodded slowly, "And what exactly can you do about the bracelets?"

"We can deactivate them so they no longer suppress your magic or track your location. And you will be the only person aware that they are no longer functioning."

"So," Loki summarized, "You free my magic, then I steal-"

"Borrow," Owen corrected.

"Fine, 'borrow' this thing from Stark Tower for you?"

"Actually, your magic will be freed after obtaining the item."

"And how do you expect me to sneak around there alone without my magic?"

"You won't be alone," Alex chimed in from his seat in the kitchen.

Loki opened his mouth to say something, but stopped and closed it again. He glanced at Alex and the realization set in. "Oh, no," Loki stated firmly, turning towards Owen again, "I'm not going to work with that immature self-absorbed-"

"Those are the conditions," Owen stated.

"Then I will have to decline," Loki said, turning swiftly towards the door.

"I would ask you to reconsider," Owen called out.

Loki turned towards them again, clearly beginning to lose his temper, "Do you think me a fool? Do you think the petty rivalries between mortals mean anything to me?"

"This isn't about Stark and Xanatos," Owen insisted.

Exasperated, Alex slammed his phone down on the counter and turned towards Owen, "Why don't we just threaten the guy?"

Owen looked at him calmly, "Because he is a valuable ally-"

"Just because you have some kind of man-crush on him."

Owen lifted an eyebrow. "Alexander," he said in a warning tone. It was the closest thing to showing some kind of emotion that Loki had seen Owen express yet.

Loki grimaced. He didn't like being talked about as if he were not there, as if he were not any kind of threat. "My patience wears thin. You have no idea who you're dealing with, do you?"

Alex stood up defiantly and glared at him with all the vindictive rage of a self-righteous teenager, "As if _you_ know who _you're_ dealing with, you dumbass."

Loki grinned maliciously and slowly advanced on the boy, "Oh, I do. A spoiled brat and his baby-sitter. The insignificant scum of this realm..."

Alex smirked as he tossed his phone in the air and flicked his wrist. The phone burst into a molten mass and re-solidified as it shot towards Loki, forming large metallic hooks that caught and pinned his wrists to the wall behind him. Alex turned to Owen, looking smug, "See, I told you he'd be worthless without his magic."

Loki was momentarily paralyzed with shock. The boy could use magic. But Loki should have been able to sense the boy's powers. Were his bracelets suppressing that ability as well? Regardless, his rage got the better of him. Even without his magic, he still had the strength of an Asgardian. It would take more than a few pieces of metal to hold him. He tore himself away from the wall and headed straight for the infuriating red-headed boy, grabbing hold of him by his neck and lifting him several inches off the ground.

"Loki," said Owen, as calm as ever while Alex gasped for air and kicked wildly, "Please put the boy down." It seemed as if Owen had been in this situation many times before.

Loki chuckled humorlessly, "Or what?"

"Or you'll have to deal with me," Owen slowly removed his glasses and stored them inside his suit jacket.

Loki laughed out loud this time, "And you think a stone fist will stop me?"

Loki's attention returned to Alex and his grip tightened on the boy's neck. Alex's eyes went wide with panic, clawing ineffectually at the hand around his throat. Finally, he managed to choke out Owen's name.

In a flash, a beam of energy shot out, separating Loki from Alex and slamming him into the wall. The teen slumped down to the floor coughing and gently rubbing his neck. Loki looked up in surprise. Where Owen had once stood, now stood a short man with long white hair, large elvish ears, and a thin, crooked grin that could rival Loki's own. His clothing had completely changed as well, and it was like nothing Loki had seen mortals wear so far. It was almost fit for an Asgardian.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Alex?" said the man who had replaced Owen, keeping his eyes fixed on Loki, "Don't underestimate anyone, even if they can't use magic." He stepped between Alex and Loki, crossing his arms in the manner of an elder brother interceding between his little brother and a bully. "Now, Alex. Either apologize to the nice man before he pulverizes you or I'll put you to sleep before you do anything else monumentally stupid."

Alex glared defiantly at the white-haired man's back, then snarled at Loki. "You bas-"

"Sleep," the elvish man said quickly, and Alex dropped to the floor unconscious.

The man sighed and gave an apologetic look to Loki, "Kids these days. You'll have to forgive the boy. He's a bit impulsive. Gets that from his mother."

Loki looked carefully at the elvish man, but said nothing.

"I'm called the Puck," the man said, grinning broadly and making a theatrical bow, "It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance face-to-face."

"You're not a mortal," Loki said slowly, "What realm are you from? Are you from Alfheim?"

"You're wondering if I'm from one of those _other worlds_ like you? Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I was born here. Well, closer to this realm than you at least. Humans sometimes call us the Fair Folk."

Loki vaguely recalled the term from a book he had read long ago on Midgardian myths and legends. "A... fairy?" he asked, barely concealing a grin, "I didn't think you existed."

"We like to keep a low profile," Puck admitted offhandedly.

"So there are more of you living on Midgard?"

"Yes... but not at the moment," Puck answered in a measured tone.

Loki smiled. He knew that tone of voice because he'd used it himself so often. The one where the statement is true, but the meaning behind it is intentionally obscured. Puck was obviously acutely aware of their position as points of contact between two possibly equally dangerous and powerful groups of beings. The delicacy Puck afforded Loki was not something that would be offered to anyone thought to be less than an equal, and Loki found himself respecting the man for that.

"But you _are_ an immortal?" Loki continued.

"Possibly as much as you could call yourself one," Puck intoned in a sing-song fashion.

Loki's gaze grew darker, "And the boy?"

Puck arched an eyebrow and responded in a less than amused tone, "Not one to beat around the bush, are you?" He took a moment to consider his answer, "Alex is a halfling... One quarter immortal. But I would kindly ask you not to test the limits of that heritage. I know he can be a pain sometimes, but he's under my protection." Puck shot Loki a deadly serious look, "I hope we're clear on that."

Loki looked thoughtfully at the man, "So, the artifact you want? It must have some kind of magical properties?"

Puck grinned widely, seeming pleased to return to the matter at hand, "Can't get anything past you, can I?"

Loki relaxed a bit as things started to make sense, "What does it do?"

Puck laughed out loud, "As if I'd tell you!"

Loki couldn't help but smirk. An exchange of services was now looking very tempting indeed, especially now that he knew Puck actually had the magical power to uphold his end of the bargain.

"And now that you are no longer in a murderous rage," Puck stated, "I think I will revert to my more mild-mannered persona, if you don't mind." And with that, Puck's elvish form melted into Owen again.

"Wait," Loki interjected, "This still makes no sense. You don't need me. That blast you hit me with was no halfling's magic. Surely with your power-"

"Currently, I'm inconveniently limited in how I can participate in this operation."

Loki's brow furrowed.

"Of course," Owen continued, "I would not presume to deceive someone known as the Lie-Smith. So, feel free to assume that that is not my only reason, and I ask for your understanding in waiting a little longer before revealing my other motives to you."

Loki was taken slightly aback. A trickster who was being honest about his deception? It had been a long time since someone had spoken to him in such a way. With honest respect, not a hint of judgment or pity, and even genuine flattery. Loki had to admit this elvish man was growing on him. Perhaps there was something to his earlier statement about them being kindred spirits. If the society of these Fair Folk was anything like that of Asgard, then Puck had likely spent millennia seeing no one but the same beings. Loki could now understand the nervous excitement of meeting an immortal who was so completely new and different. This might just be fun after all.

Somehow sensing that Loki had made up his mind, Owen offered a handshake, "So, do we have a deal?"

Loki took Owen's hand and nodded with a sly smile, "When do we start?"


	3. Art Appreciation

"You're sure this illusion will hold?" Loki said skeptically.

"I _have_ done this before you know," Alex said irritably, although the effort of disguising himself and Loki as generic New Yorkers had seemed to exhaust him a bit. From their meeting place in a secluded alleyway behind a coffee shop, Alex glanced around the corner at the entrance to Stark Tower.

Loki was not reassured, "I'd feel better if Puck cast the spell."

"Oh, have a little faith in the boy," Puck chuckled from his seat atop a giant dumpster, "True, living transformations are not his specialty..."

Loki glared at Puck as if to tell him that he was not helping the situation.

"Oh, relax, Loki!" Puck exclaimed, jumping down from his seat to land next to them, "You two look perfect. Everything will work out just fine."

Puck turned dramatically towards Alex, "Now, Alex, behave. Remember that he can snap you like a twig, so don't give him a reason to."

Alex grumbled something vaguely affirmative.

Puck turned to Loki, "Now, Loki, behave. Remember that the deal is off if you kill the kid."

Loki nodded grimly. Puck had apparently been reading his mind.

Puck clapped happily, "Well, I'm off to take care of the cameras. I'll make sure to cover you wherever you go in the building. Good luck!" And with that Puck disappeared.

Alex and Loki looked at each other in silence for a moment. When it became apparent that neither had anything to say to the other, Alex sighed and motioned for Loki to follow him, turning the corner towards Stark Tower.

They made their way through security and headed upstairs to the gallery where the artifact would be on display. Luckily, there were very few visitors in this section of the building during the middle of the day, and the gallery itself seemed to be completely devoid of people. Loki was happy for the lack of prying eyes, but his heart sank as they approached the artifact's display case, only to find that it was empty.

"It should be here," Alex said quietly.

Loki could have screamed, but instead hissed in a whisper, "You didn't even check to make sure it would be here!"

"They must have moved it really recently," Alex said, leaning in to examine the display case.

Loki turned away, exasperated, then froze in his tracks as he caught an unexpected sight out of the corner of his eye. He could have sworn he saw a familiar man in a horned helmet and full Asgardian dress walk by the doorway of the next room of the gallery. Confused, he tapped on Alex's shoulder, unable to draw his eyes away from the now empty doorway.

Alex looked up at him, "What?"

"I think... I just saw myself in the room over there," Loki said carefully.

"Really?"

"Yes, I was wearing my Asgardian armor... I even had my helmet..."

He expected Alex to tell him he was crazy, but was surprised when Alex said, "Oh, good. Let's follow him."

Reluctantly, Loki followed Alex into the next room, only to find it empty except for a very obvious piece of red paper lying on the floor. Alex picked up the note and read it to himself:

_40.758752, -73.978712  
Loading Dock. 10:30am. Hurry._

Loki glanced at Alex questioningly, "What does it mean?"

Alex was thoughtful for a moment, then whispered, "GPS coordinates. That must be where it is."

"GPS what?" Loki hissed, "What is going on? Did Puck leave this?"

"No, I did," Alex said quickly, ignoring Loki's increasingly puzzled expression, "What time is it?" He took out his phone, "Shit. We've got ten minutes. Follow me."

Loki wanted to argue, but Alex was already headed out of the gallery, typing madly on his phone. Loki followed swiftly as Alex made his way to the nearest elevator. "We'll probably need a change of clothes," Alex mumbled as the elevator doors closed.

"Are you going to explain anytime soon?" Loki said, frustration evident in his voice.

"Shut up and let me concentrate," Alex said as he closed his eyes.

Loki sighed and hoped for the best as Alex reworked his spell so that they were now disguised as security guards instead of tourists.

Alex looked at his phone again to check their location as the elevator doors opened, "We're not too far away. Come on."

Loki was now discreetly checking every few seconds to make sure the disguise was still in place. He followed Alex cautiously, eyes darting back and forth scanning the hallways, dearly hoping that they wouldn't run into anyone who might cause trouble.

His hopes were dashed as they came across a large group of security guards. Alex and Loki made their way nonchalantly through them, but Loki grimaced at seeing more in the distance.

A man who looked like a supervisor caught sight of Alex and Loki and approached them, frowning. "What's the deal, guys? You need ground level security clearance to be down here."

Loki glanced at the I.D. tags that they were wearing and realized with displeasure that they were a different color from the other guards around them. Alex must have copied the guards he had seen near the gallery upstairs. Alex seemed to have realized his mistake too, because he tensed up, his mind apparently racing in search of some explanation.

The man was about to say something else when a loud explosion suddenly rocked the building. The echoing boom sounded in the distance behind them. Putting a hand to his earpiece, the man was suddenly shouting, "All units! Code 418 in Warehouse 3! Come on!" He motioned for the surrounding guards to follow him and ran off towards the blast.

Alex and Loki exchanged questioning glances as they pressed themselves against the wall to avoid the waves of guards now exiting the area, all heading in the direction of the explosion.

"If I remember correctly," Loki leaned in and whispered to Alex in the midst of the uproar, "That's the code for a Hulk attack... I didn't know Dr. Banner was in New York..."

Alex's brow furrowed, "Anyhow, let's take advantage of it while we can." He motioned for Loki to follow him.

Soon, the halls were completely deserted, and Loki breathed a sigh of relief as they finally approached the doors marked "Loading Dock."

As they cautiously made their way into the large garage-like storage area, Alex noticed a piece of red construction paper on a table and quickly grabbed it, folding it in half and storing it his jacket. Then he began instinctively walking towards the one delivery truck in the room which stood poised at the open garage door when he was startled by the truck's revving engine.

Loki watched as Alex automatically rushed forward, grabbing hold of one of the large handles on the back of the truck as it began to move away from the dock and frantically motioning for Loki to follow. Loki didn't have time to think as he bolted forward, jumping onto the back of the truck as it sped away from the building.

Loki scowled at Alex, "Please tell me there's a very good reason we're hanging on to the back of a moving truck."

Alex didn't respond. He was already mumbling a spell under his breath. The door to the back of the truck sprung open and they jumped inside.

Alex was suddenly grinning madly, clearly having the time of his life, "I knew this would be fun."

Loki's patience was wearing thin. He gave Alex a death glare, his voice icy and low, "You better have a good way to get us out of this, because if I get caught, I'm going to-"

"Hey, chill out," Alex laughed as he looked around at the boxes stacked in the back of the truck, "Our way out is right-" his eyes fell on a folded piece of red paper on one of the boxes, "Here." Walking over, he picked up the note and read it to himself. A smile flashed across his face, then he pocketed the note and stepped aside. "Would you like to do the honors?" he asked, motioning to the box the note had been sitting on.

Loki frowned. He most certainly would _not_ like to do the honors, but he couldn't think of any reason to refuse. He quickly opened the box, removed the packing material, and looked inside. There was a small shield-shaped object that was about the size of Loki's hand. It had the design of a golden bird silhouetted against a background of blue inlay. Loki carefully removed it from the box, "What is it?"

"May I?" Alex asked with an outstretched hand.

Loki was keenly aware of Alex's sudden politeness. It made him wary. "Tell me what it is first."

Alex looked slightly annoyed, "It's called the Phoenix Gate."

"What does it do?"

"What do you care?" Alex snarled, his temper quickly flaring, "You won't be able to use it anyhow. Now, give it to me like we agreed."

Anger flashed across Loki's face. His body tensed, moving forward slightly, ready to strike. He had half a mind to simply pick up the boy and throw him out of the truck.

The threatening movement sobered Alex quickly, and he jolted backward, putting his arms out in a defensive attempt to calm Loki. Apparently Loki's attack in the apartment was still fresh in his mind. Alex gulped and forced himself to take a deep breath, "Look, I promise everything will be explained soon. For now, please give me the Gate and we can get out of here."

_At least the boy can learn_, Loki thought, internally amused by the boy's reaction. Calming somewhat, he slowly handed Alex the artifact.

Alex breathed a sigh of relief as he accepted the Phoenix Gate. "So, we're almost done, but we have to help ourselves out first. I think I know what we have to do."

"Enlighten me," Loki said, his voice still filled to the brim with annoyance.

Alex held out the Phoenix Gate, unable to keep a smile off his face as he said the incantation, "_Deslagrate muri tempi et intervalia!_"

* * *

A flaming ball of energy erupted and surrounded Alex and Loki, sucking them into a vortex and spitting them out in the darkened corner of a room. As Loki regained his barrings, he saw that they were back in the adjoining room of the art gallery, the room where they had found the first note. He instinctively looked down at his body, sighing with relief to see that the spell Alex had used to disguise them was still in place.

Alex grabbed Loki's arm and whispered urgently, "Here's the deal. We've gone back in time and we have to help ourselves get to the Phoenix Gate. So, first of all, that means we leave a note for ourselves with the location of the loading dock and you need to walk in front of the door to get your attention."

Loki rolled his eyes. Why did it have to be time travel?

Alex took out the blank sheet of red paper he'd picked up at the loading dock and was now scribbling a duplicate of the note they had received before. He rushed over and placed it where they had found it on the floor. Returning to Loki, he shut his eyes and began mumbling under his breath.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Loki exclaimed, looking down and seeing his disguise melting into his familiar Asgardian clothing.

"You saw _yourself_ walk by the doorway," Alex explained, "So, you have to look like yourself."

Loki's hand went up to his head and felt the horned helmet he was wearing. "Oh, no," he hissed, "I'm not wearing this here!"

"You have to," Alex insisted, "That's what got your attention, remember?"

Loki sighed in exasperation, almost embarrassed by the whole thing.

"Don't worry," Alex continued, "Puck's taking care of the security cameras. No one will know you're here. Now, go over there and get ready to walk by the door," Alex said.

As Loki walked to the other side of the doorway, he suddenly realized that he had no shoes on. He turned towards Alex again. "Seriously?" he hissed, motioning towards his bare feet.

Alex shushed him vigorously.

Loki rolled his eyes dramatically just as two people could be heard entering the adjoining room. There was some whispered conversation, then Loki heard Alex's voice from the other room say something about the Phoenix Gate having been moved. That was his cue, if he remembered correctly.

He walked swiftly by the open doorway, catching a glimpse of two generic tourists, the disguises they had used earlier, in the other room. Joining Alex on the other side, he watched as Alex quickly took out the Phoenix Gate and whispered the incantation again.

* * *

The flaming vortex released them in the shadowy confines of a warehouse, surrounded by towering walls of boxes, cases, and canisters.

"Okay, I think you'll like what comes next," Alex said with a knowing smile.

Loki looked doubtful.

"Here's the part where you get to be the Hulk."

"What?"

"We were able to get into the loading dock because the guards there were distracted by the Hulk... but the Hulk was you," Alex held up the note he had found in the truck, "See."

Loki silently read the note: _Let out your inner monster._

"Not the most elegant plan, I'll admit," Alex said, seeing Loki's scowl.

"That's an understatement," Loki scoffed, "You don't know what you're asking of me. If I get caught-"

"I won't let that happen."

"Forgive me if I don't have complete confidence in your abilities," Loki sneered.

"Look," Alex said, a note of seriousness in his voice that Loki hadn't heard before, "If you get caught, I get caught. And believe me, the last thing I want is for my dad to find out about this. I have way too much riding on it. There's no way in hell I'm going to fail now."

Loki was struck by the boy's earnestness. Somehow, he had assumed that this venture was some thinly veiled rivalry between two giant corporations, or at best, the fleeting whim of some young thrill-seeker. But hearing how invested Alex was personally, he had to revise his assessment.

"You have to trust me," Alex insisted, "I'll back you up."

Loki held Alex's gaze for a long moment. When Alex didn't avoid it, this seemed to satisfy Loki.

"Besides," Alex continued, "I thought you'd jump at the chance to give Stark a little grief. He's the one who made those bracelets, you know."

Loki _did_ know. Stark had had the nerve to boast about that fact as Loki was being fitted with the damn things.

"Okay," Loki agreed, "but remember that I'm not indestructible."

Alex nodded, "The moment they pull out the big guns, we're out of here."

Loki sighed in resignation, "Let's get this over with."

Alex rubbed his palms together enthusiastically and began to mumble a spell under his breath. Loki's form expanded until he embodied the huge muscular mass that was the Hulk. He looked down at himself for a moment, assessing the authenticity of the transformation, then bent over to within inches of Alex's face and unleashed a monstrous roar. Alex stumbled backwards in fright, and Loki relished the look of sheer terror on the boy's face. "The voice sounds about right," Loki muttered, smirking rather awkwardly through the Hulk's face before turning to move further into the room.

Alex clenched his fists and muttered "Jerk" under his breath before looking around for a good vantage point to keep an eye on Loki, yet be somewhat out of the way. He settled on a stack of metal cases with a clear line of sight to most corners of the room and then began casting as many defensive spells as he could on Loki.

Meanwhile, Loki was quick to find some canisters that looked volatile enough to cause an explosion and was not disappointed when he tossed them across the room and was rewarded with a deafening blast that nearly knocked him to the floor. As the first wave of guards filed into the warehouse, their bullets seemed to be deflected more easily than usual away from him. Alex must have given him some extra protection in the form of a shielding spell. He was soon glad for it as he smashed his way through the guards, feeling himself more and more out-numbered.

_Let out your inner monster, _Loki repeated in his head. It was easy enough for him to do. He had centuries of repressed rage to let out. Not to mention his frustration regarding his current parole and the man who stole his magic from him, Tony Stark.

A strong blast to his back forced him to stumble, and he turned around to see Iron Man hovering among the guards behind him. _Speak of the devil_, Loki thought, frowning.

"Now, that I have your attention," Stark said to himself before addressing the Hulk, "Bruce! Dr. Banner! You need to chill out now!"

Loki simply roared and lunged at Stark, but Stark managed to hover just out of his reach.

"Jarvis," Stark instructed as he evaded Loki, "Send out an order to evacuate the building. And get Thor over here ASAP. I'll try to keep the Hulk contained."

Loki grimaced. Although he would have loved to whack Tony Stark around a bit, he could tell that his shielding spell had been significantly weakened, and he did have to admit that the metal-suited man qualified as a "big gun." Besides, he certainly didn't want to be caught here when Thor arrived. Loki may be able to fool Stark into thinking he was fighting the Hulk, but Thor would be another matter entirely.

Turning away from Stark and dodging defensively, Loki quickly scanned the room for Alex and found him, still disguised as a security guard, being pushed back by a line of armored guards attempting to secure the exit behind them. Loki was about to make a move towards Alex when a heavy blow hit him from the side and forced him to tumble into a pile of crates that shattered under his weight. He turned to find himself face-to-face with Iron Man again.

"You're fighting me now, pal," Stark said, raising his hand for another strike, "Leave the others out of it."

_Does he ever shut up?_ Loki thought, gritting his teeth. He crouched and grabbed Iron Man's leg, swinging him into a nearby tower of metal canisters and narrowly missing the energy blast aimed at his head. In no time, Iron Man was back on his feet, and Loki had no choice but to grapple with him to keep him from using his gloves.

"Bruce!" Stark shouted again, straining to escape Loki's hold, "This is really unnecessary!"

Loki tried his best to turn curses into growls of anger as he clumsily struggled with Iron Man. The Hulk's massive body made it impossible to fight as he normally would, and he felt distinctly vulnerable without his own magic. In mounting frustration, he failed to keep a hold of the metal suit and allowed Stark to free his arm long enough to hit Loki square in the face with a blast from his glove. Loki's vision swam in and out of focus as he tried to recover from the hit.

"I'm really sorry about this, buddy, but you're leaving me no choice here," Stark said as he armed a set of small rockets and fired them straight at Loki's stomach. Loki and Stark were thrown apart by the blast, Loki crashing into a stack of metal cases. Badly burnt from the blast, Loki sluggishly struggled to get back on his feet as Iron Man rushed back into striking distance, raising his arm for another volley of rockets.

Alex shielded his eyes as a wave of heat from the second strike blasted against his face. He grimaced as Loki was thrown back into the scattered metal cases. Loki was clearly still disoriented and starting to lose consciousness, throwing punches in a vain attempt to hit Iron Man, who stood just out of reach with his hand raised preparing for yet another strike. Alex saw the tell-tale signs of the transformation spell he had placed on Loki beginning to falter and started to panic. Another hit might undo it completely.

"Damn it!" Alex shouted, reaching out towards Loki.

The loud clatter of a million tiny shards of metal resounded throughout the room. Before Iron Man could deliver another blow, his suit fell to pieces around him in a shining cascade of crimson and gold, as if every fastener and bolt in the suit had suddenly disappeared. Alex had done it without thinking and cursed himself when he realized what he'd done.

The room went silent as Tony Stark stood dumbfounded, looking utterly weak and defenseless in his T-shirt and jeans amidst the remnants of his Iron Man suit, his arm still lifted and pointing at the fallen body of the Hulk. Taking advantage of the fact that the room was frozen in shock, Alex quickly wove an invisibility spell for himself and made his way up to Loki who was now drifting out of consciousness. Alex took out the Phoenix Gate and whispered the incantation as quietly as he could. Through the veil of flames, he could make out Tony and the surrounding guards falling to the ground asleep and Iron Man's suit reassembling itself around Tony's sleeping body.


	4. Calm

Alex let out a string of expletives as he bent over Loki's unconscious body. He had let their transformation spells melt away soon after the flaming vortex released them on the floor of Owen's apartment where they had first met. Loki's body was badly burnt and bruised all over, and Alex was desperately trying to order his panicked thoughts and think of a single healing spell.

"Not your best work, Alex."

Alex jumped in surprise as Puck appeared next to him, kneeling.

"Shit," Alex exclaimed, "How long have you been there?"

Puck looked dreadfully serious, his voice sharp and cold, "The whole time, you dimwit!"

"The whole time?" Alex muttered, "Meaning you never left?"

"You really think I would leave you alone with him after he nearly killed you?"

Alex avoided Puck's gaze. "I could have handled him..." he mumbled halfheartedly.

Puck glared at him, "Is it time for a healing lesson? I think it's time for a healing lesson." Puck held out his hand to touch Loki's chest, and Loki's burns and injuries melted away, but he didn't stir.

Alex looked questioningly at Puck. Was Puck actually... angry? He couldn't be sure, since he'd never actually seen Puck angry before. Usually, no matter what kind of trouble Alex found himself in, Puck always had a bit of Owen's calm serenity. But now, Puck seemed to be glaring at him in silent rage.

"I got the Phoenix Gate," Alex blurted out, "What the hell are you so mad about?"

"Let's see," Puck said bitterly, pretending to have to think about it, "Where to start?"

Instantly offended, Alex jumped to his feet ready to defend himself.

"It was sloppy, Alex!" Puck stood up to challenge the teenager, his stance strong and confident despite the fact that he was several inches shorter than Alex, "You call that a clean getaway?! Letting at least three guards see you disappear!"

"I was disguised!" Alex fired back in protest.

"Disassembling Iron Man's suit!"

"Hey, I panicked!"

"Using the Phoenix Gate incantation right in front of Tony Stark!"

"Come on, I whispered it!"

"Not to mention, the Hulk miraculously appearing in New York!"

"Hey, that was my future self's idea!"

"It was still your idea, Alex!" Puck shouted in exasperation.

"Well," Alex struggled for some kind of retort, "If you were there, why didn't _you_ do something?!"

"Who do you think put the room to sleep when you left? Reassembled Iron Man's armor?"

Alex flushed a bit in embarrassment.

"If we're lucky," Puck continued, "They'll think it was some kind of mass hypnosis. At least, that's what the security tapes will show them. You always think too much like a human!"

"I _am_ a human!" Alex shouted.

"Believing that is what limits you! I'm not always going to be there to save your ass, your highness!"

Alex groaned in frustration and threw his hands in the air, walking away from Puck.

Puck took a deep breath, calming himself as he morphed back into Owen. He looked almost sorrowfully at Loki, who was still lying unconscious on the floor. "Loki's sure to be suspected in all this."

"We have the Gate," Alex mumbled, calmer but still flustered, "We can give him a perfect alibi."

"Do you really think that will be enough to erase suspicion?" Owen questioned, "I was there, Alexander. I heard what you said... You asked him to endanger himself for you, and you promised to protect him." Owen took a labored breath, suddenly looking weary and solemn, "Be very careful about making promises without knowing whether or not you can keep them."

Alex furrowed his brow, saying nothing.

"Don't presume that because you now have the Phoenix Gate that suddenly you're a god," Owen continued, "You of all people should know that history is fixed. Even with the Gate, you can't rewrite the past, all you can do is amend it."

Alex looked like he wanted to say something, but thought better of it and bit his lip instead.

"Now..." Owen sighed, "It will be harder to convince him to come with us."

"We're taking him with us?"

"Of course, we are. You read the letter," Owen said, "We'll have to leave before he wakes up."

"Then, I'll get our backpacks-"

"Don't you have another note to leave for yourself before we go?" Owen questioned, looking at Alex meaningfully.

"Oh," Alex mumbled as he remembered the note he still needed to leave in the truck where he found the Phoenix Gate.

"Go on," Owen said, "I'm sure it's one thing you can do by yourself."

Alex glared at Owen before taking out the Phoenix Gate.

"No side-trips this time," Owen advised, looking away as Alex disappeared in a ball of flame.

Owen sighed and looked down at Loki, "And things were going so well..."

* * *

Loki awoke gazing up at a massive sky full of stars, the sound of a fire crackling nearby. He tried to sit up, suddenly bracing himself as a wave of nausea came over him. It passed quickly though, and he looked around to see Owen sitting on the ground next to a small campfire and Alex sleeping bundled in a sleeping bag nearby. They were surrounded by a wide grassy field that faded quickly into darkness outside the circle of the campfire's light.

"Where are we?" Loki asked wearily.

"Scotland, late 10th century," Owen said, remaining expressionless in the flickering firelight.

Loki's thoughts still felt muddled, but as his head began to clear, his anger surfaced. He was sick of being kept in the dark and ordered around. His eyes darted back and forth between Alex's sleeping form and Owen. Pretending like it was more effort than it was, he adjusted himself into a more comfortable sitting position and discretely slipped his hand into his jacket's inner pocket.

"I apologize for bringing you here without your consent," Owen explained, "After we have talked, I'll take you directly back if you so desire-"

Owen had barely finished speaking when Loki descended on him, pinning him to the ground with lightning speed, the blade of a knife flashing in the firelight as Loki held it against Owen's throat. Owen went perfectly still, gazing up at Loki's slightly crazed expression with a kind of vague weariness.

"Shouldn't Puck be making an appearance right about now?" Loki snarled, allowing the knife's edge to float along Owen's skin to emphasize his point.

Owen stiffened, "Be careful. I'm mortal in this form."

Loki grinned maniacally, "You make it sound as if I don't intend to kill you."

"Believe me," Owen said with some effort, "If I thought there was any chance of that happening, I would have taken that knife away from you while you were unconscious."

Loki's smile fell away, and he stared at Owen for a long moment before lifting the pressure of his hold infinitesimally.

"You're either threatening me to make Puck reveal himself or for information which I was just about to reveal voluntarily. If it's for Puck, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. I can only revert to Puck to teach or protect Alexander."

"I'm supposed to believe that?" Loki said, frustration evident in his voice.

"I'm being punished, just like you," Owen said emphatically, "Only unlike you, I've been wearing the mask of a mortal for 18 years. We are tricksters by nature. Such punishments as normalcy weigh heavy on us."

Loki certainly agreed. At least in his case, being stuck on Midgard obediently playing a normal upstanding citizen _was_ starting to drive him crazy, and it had only been a few weeks.

"I was hoping we could help each other get around our punishments," Owen continued, "I assure you I have no other motive than that."

"A fine sentiment coming from your 'mortal mask'."

"If you wish to speak face-to-face, simply throw your knife at Alexander and I will be more than happy to show you how quickly Puck will make an appearance."

Loki grinned, "Why didn't you say so sooner?"

Loki had no sooner flung the knife towards Alex's sleeping form than Owen disappeared from his grasp, reappearing as Puck directly behind him to grab the knife from midair and return it to rest against Loki's own neck. Loki chuckled despite himself.

Puck casually stepped away and offered the handle of the knife back to Loki. "Now, settle down please," Puck said with a small smile.

"Yes, mother," Loki said mockingly, taking the knife and returning it to the inside pocket of his jacket.

Puck stretched out next to the fire as if enjoying a day at the beach. "I'm all for a good sparring match, but you really should wait until we deal with those bracelets or else it will be very one-sided."

Loki knew the reference to the bracelets was intentional. Puck had probably guessed that Loki was already considering taking the Phoenix Gate for himself and running.

"Speaking of that," Loki said, smiling, "You agreed to deactivate the bracelets once I helped you get the Gate."

"No," Puck said emphatically, "We agreed to deactivate them once we've borrowed the Gate. _Borrowed_, implying returning. That's what you agreed to, Loki."

Loki frowned, "You're seriously taking it back?"

"I said we would, didn't I?" Puck said, unable to restrain a smile, "Don't worry. I'll deal with your bracelets once the Gate is back in that truck, safe and sound."

Loki wanted to argue, but decided against it for the time being. "Fine," Loki muttered unhappily, "But you didn't mention anything about visiting the Middle Ages..."

Puck gazed up at the night sky happily, "Naturally, I couldn't risk you knowing the nature of the Gate's powers before Alex had it."

He was right, of course. If Loki had known that the Phoenix Gate was this powerful, he probably would have stolen it the moment he found it and taken his chances finding another way to get rid of the bracelets.

"So what are we doing here then?"

"Getting the Phoenix Gate was just the first step. You see, Alex is the son of a billionaire. He grew up with everything handed to him on a silver platter. True, he's spoiled rotten, but he also doesn't want his own life to be overshadowed by his father's. He wants to establish himself as his own person. Do you understand?"

Loki gazed into the crackling campfire solemnly, "Yes, I do."

Puck glanced at Loki curiously before returning his gaze to the starry sky. "Anyway, that's why Alex wanted to come here. He wants to get something to help him start his own fortune, so he won't have to rely on his father. He wants to be a self-made man."

Loki looked at Puck skeptically, "And he had to travel back in time to do that?"

Puck laughed, "Well, there's another reason we're here as well."

Loki waited quietly for Puck to continue.

Puck sighed, eyes sparkling a bit as he gazed up at the stars, "I'm going to visit my home."

Loki couldn't help but laugh, "What?"

Puck looked at Loki in displeasure, "What's so funny? It's true." Puck turned his head back to the sky and began to absentmindedly trace out constellations with his forefinger, "Part of the same punishment that binds me to Owen's form also forbids me from visiting the ancestral home of the Fair Folk, the isle of Avalon. But if I go at this point in history, it should be allowed since it will be before the decree."

Loki stared at Puck in surprise. "You've obviously given this a lot of thought."

"Yes, I have," Puck chuckled quietly, "I used to do everything I could to avoid going back to that boring old island... but it's funny what you begin to miss once you can never go back again."

A vision of his childhood in Asgard came to mind, and Loki's chest tightened. He shook his head, refusing to indulge in the memory. Even with the ability to go back in time, there was no going back to the home he had lost. He glared at Puck feeling an unexpected pang of envy.

Puck continued to gaze skyward, oblivious to Loki, "After that, we'll return the Gate to where we found it. It shouldn't take too long."

"That's what you said about getting the Gate in the first place," Loki said with a frown, "And that didn't work out very well. What if I refuse to help you?"

"Well, as I was trying to say before I was rudely interrupted," Puck looked pointedly at Loki, "We'll take you back to the present if you don't wish to join us, but..."

"But what?"

Puck rolled over on his side to face Loki, propping his head up with his arm, "I doubt you'll do that."

Loki raised an eyebrow.

"You've missed all this," Puck continued with a wide grin, "You were bored out of your mind when we first met. Playing the good little boy for the Avengers. It doesn't matter what you think of me and Alex or our reasons for being here, anything would be better than that right now. Wouldn't you agree?"

Loki gazed into the fire thoughtfully before glancing back at Puck. "Very well," he said quietly, "I'll stay with you."

Sitting up enthusiastically, Puck smirked at Loki as though he was expecting this all along. Then he morphed back into Owen, his features suddenly expressionless. "Get some sleep. I'll keep watch."

Loki nodded and reluctantly lay down. He had no intention of sleeping, but thought he heard hushed words coming from the direction of Alex's sleeping bag and somehow found himself instantly falling into an unnaturally deep slumber.

* * *

_A/N: Chapter 4 ended up much longer than anticipated, so I'm splitting it up into two or three chapters. Consequently, it looks like I'll end up with 7 or 8 total chapters for this story. Oh, and there may actually be a female character in the next chapter! Yay!_


	5. Storm

Loki's eyes flashed open, and he sat up quickly. The first rays of the sun were reaching over the horizon, and the fire had died out. Owen was fast asleep, and Alex's sleeping bag lay empty.

Loki looked around and frowned. Alex was nowhere in sight. This wasn't a good sign.

"Owen! Owen! Wake up!" Loki called, nudging Owen's sleeping form with his foot.

Owen woke and sat up slowly, adjusting his glasses on his face.

"Alex is gone," Loki informed him.

Owen looked over at Alex's sleeping bag and grimaced. "He left on his own. He must have put a sleep spell on us."

"That little shit."

Owen nodded, revealing no emotion as rose to his feet.

"You're not really surprised, are you?" Loki asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice.

"I had suspected he might do something like this," Owen stared intently at Loki, "But I didn't instruct him to keep the Phoenix Gate away from you, if that's what you're thinking."

Loki frowned once again at Owen's apparent ability to read his mind.

Owen knelt down and started to pack up the sleeping bag, "He won't use the Gate, so he should be nearby. Let's look for him. At least he was kind enough to leave us with one of the supply backpacks."

Loki sighed and stood up, dusting off his clothes and looking around. "That may be a good place to start," he said pointing to a plume of dark smoke rising up on the horizon.

"Agreed," Owen confirmed, shouldering the large black backpack.

Storm clouds rolled in as they started out towards the smoke. The air grew damp and chill, and they were soon forced to hide under heavy hooded cloaks for protection from the onslaught of icy rain.

Loki drew his cloak tight around him and shouted through the roaring downpour, "Are you sure you can't do any magic? Nothing to shield us from the rain?"

"Believe me," Owen shouted back, shivering in the cold as he pulled his hood lower over his face, "If I could, I would have done so a long time ago."

If Loki had any lingering doubts about the truthfulness of the limits on Owen's magic, he was reassured in an instant. He almost felt a bit of sympathy for Owen. At least Loki didn't have to worry about the cold.

As they neared the source of the smoke, they saw the remnants of a recent battle. The muddy fields were lined with the bodies of dead warriors and broken weapons, now drenched by the rain, and looming over the battlefield was a large stone castle that now stood abandoned and partially collapsed, smoldering with the remnants of a mighty blaze that must have consumed most of the interior.

Owen surveyed the scene with a frown. "On second thought, I hope Alexander didn't come this way."

The heavy rain began to let up, turning into a light drizzle as the sky brightened a bit. They trudged on towards the castle's main gate, their shoes sinking into the muddy ground with each step.

As soon as they passed under the dark arch of the gate, a piercing war cry rang out and a dark figure ran out of the shadows swinging a heavy sword and lunging at Loki. Loki easily knocked the man to the ground and turned to see more warriors quickly approaching, swords drawn and shouting menacingly. With the hint of a smile, Loki swiftly took the sword from the first man who now lay hunched over in the mud, then raced toward the warriors, tearing into them as he swung the sword with furious speed.

Loki was momentarily lost in the thrill of the battle until he realized that warriors were making their way towards Owen. He quickly drew close to Owen again, shouting, "Get behind me."

"That won't be necessary," came Owen's calm reply as he stepped aside dodging an oncoming blade and grabbing hold of the attacker's arm to swing him over his head and throw him to the ground.

Loki grinned, "So that form's not as useless as you made me believe."

"As long as I'm not up against a demigod with superhuman strength," Owen replied as he continued to evade the warrior's attacks.

Loki and Owen were holding their own against the warriors when lightening flared overhead and a familiar crash of thunder echoed through the castle walls.

Loki paused and closed his eyes as he drew his hood low to hide his face. _Of course, he would be here_, he thought.

"They're mine," boomed a mighty voice.

The group of warriors fell silent and parted as Thor slowly stepped forward, head held high and wearing his full armor and cape. He was smiling, tossing Mjolnir playfully, "You've fought well, strangers, but today you meet your end."

Loki promptly stepped in front of Owen defensively, grimacing under his hood as he raised his sword to face Thor as he approached. "What year is this exactly?" Loki whispered urgently to Owen over his shoulder.

"962, I believe," came Owen's whispered reply.

Loki flashed through his memory to recall what was going on and where he was that year. It was before the Frost Giant invasion of Earth, so this must have been one of Thor's smaller outings to raise followers among the Norsemen. Loki had rarely bothered to participate in those, so chances were good that he was currently supposed to be in Asgard at this time. His mind raced, considering his options. He had to admit that fighting Thor without his magic would not be a wise move. He might be able to successfully flee, but he doubted Owen would have the same success if Thor pursued him. That left only one choice.

As Thor was about to lift his hammer to strike, Loki rushed forward, dropping the sword he was holding. He threw his body into Thor's throwing shoulder, managing to knock Thor slightly off balance as he used both hands to grab hold of Thor's arm restraining him.

"Hold, brother!" Loki shouted.

Thor froze and looked wide-eyed at the cloaked figure who held his arm. "Loki?" Thor said with disbelief.

Loki let go of Thor's arm and slowly stepped away, forcing himself to smile at Thor as he removed his hood. Thor burst into laughter and placed a hand amicably on Loki's shoulder, "Why, brother! I thought you had decided not to join us!"

Loki resisted the urge scowl. "Well, I couldn't let you take all the glory on your little adventure! But, actually..." Loki's voice trailed off as a stern looking Sif walked into view, arms crossed over her chest.

"What are you doing here, trickster?" she said, eying him critically.

Loki cursed internally as he smiled at Sif. "Lady Sif! Listen, I have a favor to ask of you and Thor," Loki leaned in secretively to whisper to them, "Actually, I'm here without permission. Mother forbade it as punishment for the little mishap with the snakes. So we should just keep this between us."

Sif looked like she as about to argue, but Thor interrupted, thundering, "Of course, brother! Come, we should take you to our camp. But, who is this with you?"

"Oh," Loki replied, turning towards Owen, "This mortal helped me find you."

Owen stepped forward and lowered his hood, giving a brief nod of greeting to Thor.

"And what is he doing in this place?" Sif asked skeptically.

Owen looked at her calmly, "I've lost my travel companion. Have any of you seen a red-headed boy of eighteen years carrying a pack like this one?" He pulled back his cloak to show them the black backpack he wore.

Sif furrowed her brow and shook her head.

Thor smiled, "Well, if he's helped you, Loki, he should be rewarded. Come let us go back to camp."

Loki nodded and stayed close to Owen as they joined the parade of warriors marching away from the castle towards the cliffs in the distance.

When Loki and Owen had fallen behind a bit and were out of earshot, Sif pulled Thor aside as they walked. "I'm worried about this," she said in a hushed voice, "I don't think that is really Loki."

Thor glanced back at Loki before replying to Sif, "What are you talking about? Of course, it's him. He's wearing some strange clothing, but there's nothing odd about that."

"I can't explain really," Sif answered, "But there's something different about him..." She furrowed her brow in thought, "And that mortal with him. He didn't so much as flinch when he saw you. Then Loki protected him in that fight... I've never seen Loki bother to protect a mortal before."

Thor shook his head quickly, "Surely, you're overreacting-"

Sif cut him off with a glare that said very clearly she was not backing down on this issue, "We should keep a close eye on them."

Further back in the crowd, Loki had noticed Thor and Sif's whispered conversation. "Sif's already suspicious," Loki whispered to Owen, "We should find out where Alex might be and get away as soon as possible."

"Agreed," Owen answered quietly, adjusting the weight of the backpack on his back.

They could hear the sound of the sea breaking on the cliffs as they approached a small cave hidden in the rocky shoreline. Once through the narrow entrance, the cave opened up into a vast cavern where the tents of hundreds of warriors stood standing in jagged rows.

Owen had only gotten a few steps into the cave before he grimaced and slowed to a stop.

"What's wrong?" Loki asked in a hushed voice.

"There's a powerful source of magic here," Owen said quietly, "One that I do not recognize."

"Aesir magic?"

"Perhaps."

"Why can't I feel it?" Loki whispered, frowning.

"Maybe the bracelets dampen your ability to sense magic as well as use it."

Loki gritted his teeth. Curse these stupid bracelets! He silently vowed to murder Tony Stark the first chance he got.

Owen quickly glanced over to check that Thor and Sif were preoccupied, consulting with a group of finely dressed warriors.

"Let's look for the source," Owen said, mirroring Loki's thoughts.

They snuck away, Owen leading Loki through a labyrinth of narrow paths before they reached a giant chasm in the rock. They followed a treacherous path that wound its way down into the chasm until they finally reached an ornately carved door in the stone wall.

The darkness pressed in on them as they passed through the door into a cramped corridor. Owen trembled slightly at the bite of magic in the air as they continued to walk, their footsteps echoing coldly through the hard rock. There was an eerie bluish glow up ahead as they entered a larger chamber. The room looked like it had been naturally formed, stalagmites and intricate mineral formations decorated the edges of the room, but the center of the chamber held a large structure made of massive stones, four wide pillars that supported a giant stone slab as a roof. The pillars were completely covered with thousands of tiny runes that twinkled with a soft glow, gently illuminating the chamber.

Even with his magical senses dulled, Loki could now clearly feel the hum of magic emanating from the stone structure as he moved closer to examine the pillars. "It's definitely Asgardian," he said quietly, running his fingertips gently over the glowing runes and basking in the familiar sensation of magic on his skin.

"What's its purpose?" Owen asked, examining the structure from afar, pacing near the edge of the room as if afraid to come closer.

"Well, at the very least, it's certainly a gateway to Asgard," Loki answered, gazing up in awe, "But its much too powerful to be simply that-"

His voice fell away as the sound of footsteps drew his attention to the entrance.

"Stay where you are," commanded Sif, her sword drawn as she stood in the doorway to the chamber. Thor stood next to her clutching Mjolnir anxiously.

Loki rolled his eyes in exasperation, "What is it now, Sif?"

"If you _are_ Loki," she said in a low and dangerous voice, "You'll know that we're not allowed to be in this chamber. We don't want the mortals finding it." Her eyes flashed briefly to Owen before fixing on Loki again.

"And if I _am_ Loki," Loki mimicked with a humorless grin, "You'd know that I have very little regard for where I am or am not allowed to be."

Sif's eyes narrowed while Thor shifted from one foot to another, looking somewhat wary of Loki for the first time.

Loki sighed and was about to step towards them when he heard the crackle of energy behind him. The runes on the pillars were suddenly shining brighter and brighter, bolts of electricity shooting between the stones. Loki tried to back away from the structure, but his body did not obey him. The stones kept him rooted to the ground as magic built up around him, sparks of energy shooting from the pillars and digging into his skin. He cried out in pain as the magic forced its way deep into his muscles, his bones, and finally burrowed into the depths of his mind. He could feel his willpower being stifled, his consciousness being subdued by an unwelcome presence that was invading his body. The power continued to flood into him until his body was almost at the breaking point, bright and shining at near-blinding intensity.

Then his bracelets cracked, shattering into a million white-hot shards as the magical energy from the stones was finally extinguished, leaving the room in semi-darkness once again.

The others watched in shock as Loki fell wordlessly to his hands and knees, his dark hair covering his face. Thor called out to him and took a few cautious steps forward, but froze in place as Loki looked up. His eyes looked dark and unfamiliar, still glowing faintly with the strange magic of the stones. Slowly, Loki rose to his feet, looking past Thor with his eyes fixed on the dark entrance to the chamber.

When he spoke, his voice was not his own, "...at last."


	6. Freedom

Alex had put as much distance between the campsite and himself as he could, walking until sunrise without finding any signs of civilization. Weariness was beginning to take over when the rainstorm began, and he sought shelter under a large tree, heaving a sigh as he shrugged off his backpack and sat down heavily among the exposed roots.

Sifting through the contents of his backpack, he removed a small laptop and spun it around by the corners between his hands. He left it to spin in midair as he gathered his concentration, fixing his eyes intently on sleek exterior while he reached inside with his magic, isolating the electronic components. Once his mapping was done, all it took was a flick of his wrist, and the laptop burst apart into a shining collection of individual parts, all twirling gently in the air before him.

Alex surveyed the array of components before him, creasing his brow in concentration as he began picking and choosing among the parts and reassembling them. Some of them he used as is, others he modified or transformed completely before fitting them into the new device that was quickly taking shape.

Puck had been right when he said that living transformations were not Alex's strong suit. However, he had discovered early on that he more than made up for this shortcoming in his talent for manipulating inanimate objects, particularly machines and electronics. He excelled at combining magic and technology, as paradoxical as it had first seemed.

Soon, Alex had assembled a circular device with a clip which he activated and attached to a small ancient-looking book before tucking it away into his backpack. Then, he began assembling a smaller device which, once completed, he plugged into his phone.

With the remnants of the laptop still dangling in the air before him, he sat intently typing away on his phone until he heard the soft squish of footsteps in the mud beside him. Startled, he looked up to see a small blond boy, about five years old, staring at him, eyes wide with wonder. In his shock, his concentration broke and the pieces of laptop fell abruptly onto the damp ground.

He cursed as he quickly stuffed his phone into his pocket in an attempt to hide it, although the boy had clearly already seen it. Alex glanced around making sure no one else had crept up on him before relaxing a bit to see that the boy was alone. One boy from the Middle Ages had seen his phone, no harm done.

"Are you a wizard?" the boy asked in awe.

Alex thought for a moment, then realized the boy had been more interested in the pieces of laptop that had been floating around. Alex nodded, supposing there was no point in denying it.

"Show me some magic!" the boy exclaimed with a smile, dropping down to sit beside Alex.

Alex smirked slightly, never one to pass up a chance to show off. "Okay."

He passed his hand over the scraps of laptop scattered on the ground. They rose into the air and began to fly around like a swarm of insects following the movements of Alex's hand before he clinched his fist and the parts formed a neat sphere that sparkled in metal and plastic. He caught the sphere with his other hand, turning it to show it off to the boy before tucking it away in his backpack.

The boy's eye's sparkled with wonder, "Show me something else!"

Suddenly reminded of how cold he was by a freezing gust of wind, Alex held out his hands and began a heat spell. Turning towards the boy, the spark of light between his hands became a warm glow that slowly radiated out and spread across both of their bodies, engulfing them in warmth.

The boy's face lit up in amazement, "It's not cold anymore!"

Alex couldn't help but laugh, "That's the idea."

The boy giggled, jumping up and happily twirling around.

Alex looked out at the brightening sky and stretched out his sore legs as the rain began to let up. "Well, it's been fun," he said, rising and swinging his backpack onto his back, "but I've got to go. See ya."

He had gotten no more than a few steps away when he realized that the boy was following him. He looked back at the boy and frowned, "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm coming with you!"

Alex rolled his eyes. This was not exactly the kind of souvenir he was looking for. "Look, kid. What's your name?"

"Hakon," the boy said, smiling up at Alex.

"Hakon, you shouldn't follow me. It's dangerous. Do you understand?" Alex turned and resumed walking away.

"Are you on a quest?" a small voice asked from directly behind him.

Alex sighed as he continued to walk, "I guess so."

"Do you have an amulet?"

Alex stopped and gave him a questioning glance.

"Mom says it's dangerous to travel without one. Here, you can have mine." Hakon began struggling with the collar of his shirt and soon took off a small necklace that he had been wearing. He offered it enthusiastically to Alex. "This will protect you on your quest, brave wizard!"

Instantly curious, Alex carefully took the necklace and examined it in his hand. It was a small silver hammer-shaped pendent hanging from a thin string of leather. He cracked a smile. It wasn't money and there was no magic in it, but it should still be worth something.

"Thanks, kid," Alex said, slipping the necklace over his head, "Now, run home before I freeze your feet to the ground to make you stay put."

"I'm not afraid!" Hakon stated proudly, "Someday, I'm going to be a great warrior like my father and conquer every land I can travel to!"

"Right," Alex said in a frustrated sigh, wondering why they didn't appear to have baby-sitters in this century, "I hope you like cold feet." He put on his best evil sorcerer face and mimicked beginning to cast a spell with an overly dramatic wave of his hands.

Hakon took a few cautious steps back, his eyes suddenly wide with uncertainty. Alex nodded approvingly before turning and starting off again with a quick stride. A few moments later, he glanced back to see that the boy was gone and continued on, breathing a sigh of relief.

He promptly took his phone out of his pocket and glanced at the display, pausing for a moment and turning to orient himself by something on the screen before charging off with renewed determination.

~.~.~.~.~

* * *

~.~.~.~.~

Loki stood in front of the stone structure, his eyes glowing ominously while Thor and the others looked on in stunned silence. A stranger's voice came out of his mouth, sounding older, deeper, and full of malice, "At last, a sorcerer comes here to be the vessel of my revenge."

Now free of the bracelets, he examined his own hands, flexing and stretching his fingers as magic sparked from them. "Such a strange body," he said quietly, "Hm, no matter..."

Owen tensed as he heard the strange voice coming from Loki's lips. With so much magic in the air, it was impossible to get a read on exactly who or what had taken control of Loki's body. There was only an unmistakable aura of hatred emanating from him.

"Who are you?" Thor shouted, lifting Mjolnir threateningly, "What have you done to my brother?"

Loki looked down at him causally, as if he was barely worth noticing. Slowly, his eyes traveled to Sif, then to Owen as well, his expression unchanging.

"Insects," Loki muttered as he held out his hand producing a bright bolt of energy that blasted all three of them, knocking them to the ground. Then Loki raced forward, fleeing through the door to the chamber with a speed close to flight. A slab of rock slammed down behind him, glowing briefly before becoming a normal stone wall and sealing the chamber's exit.

Thor was on his feet in a flash, storming over to stone wall now covering the exit and preparing to smash through with his hammer.

"Wait!" Owen shouted, running over to Thor's side, "It's sealed with magic. It will repel any attempt to break through by force."

Thor gave a small chuckle before taking a solid stance and brandishing Mjolnir, "We shall see."

Owen let out a small sigh and stepped back, leaving a generous distance between Thor and himself.

Thor swung his hammer and struck the center of the wall only to be blinded by a flash of light and have his entire body thrown back by an explosive blast of energy into the rock formations on the side of the room. Thor rose to his feet and dusted himself off, glaring at Owen and Sif as if daring them to make any comment.

Sif eyed Owen critically, "How did you know that would happen? Are you a sorcerer?"

"No," Owen said almost bitterly, "I hold no magic." Owen's eyes drifted over to the glowing stone structure in the center of the room hopefully, "But there is magic here... If I can tap it..."

In the dim light, Owen's glasses gleamed as he slowly approached the structure. "Stay away from there!" Thor called out, "What if you end up like Loki?!"

"It should be safe now," Owen said confidently, "The malignant energy I sensed before is gone." Owen placed his right hand on one of the stone pillars. "You may want to stand clear of the door though."

Sif and Thor exchanged glances and took a few steps back from the stone wall. Owen closed his eyes and focused on sensing the magical energy emanating from the pillar. He could clearly feel it pulsing through the stone, an odd and unfamiliar prickling sensation on his skin. He couldn't use it of course, but if he could just direct a small amount of the raw energy towards the door, it should be enough to unseal it.

He began drawing his own energy away from his hand, creating a void to absorb the pillar's foreign magic. For a long moment, nothing happened as Owen's brow furrowed in concentration. Finally, he felt a sharp stab of magic pierce his skin and he quickly lifted his stone fist to direct it towards the door. He cried out as the energy tore through him in an electric bolt that went crashing towards the door, shattering the stone.

Owen stumbled to one knee, breathing heavily. He hadn't expected the exertion to take such a toll on his mortal body.

Thor swiftly stepped towards him, "Are you injured?"

"No," Owen answered as he stood up, still trembling slightly with remnants of the strange magic.

"Good," Thor said decisively, shocking Owen with the sudden weight of a congratulatory hand on his shoulder, "You have my gratitude." He quickly turned to Sif, "I'll go after Loki. Escort the mortal back to camp, then catch up with me."

"Prince Thor!" Owen called out as Thor turned to leave, "If I may, how are you planning on dealing with Loki?"

Thor looked back at Owen, brow slightly furrowed at having been addressed in such a manner, "What concern is that of yours?"

"My travel companion, the boy I'm looking for, his name is Alex and he's a sorcerer. If you help me find him, he would be able to help us deal with whoever is controlling Loki. I can assure you he knows the magic necessary to return your brother to you."

"If that really was Loki to begin with..." Sif mumbled to herself, grimacing.

"That's enough, Sif," Thor said softly, placing a careful hand on her shoulder, "I will not stand by while my brother is used like a puppet by whatever that being within him is." Thor looked straight at Owen and spoke urgently, "Very well, mortal. What is your name?"

"Owen," he answered, relaxing imperceptibly.

"Owen, you and Lady Sif will look for your companion, the sorcerer Alex. I will follow after Loki."

Sif looked shocked, "What?! No–"

"There is no time to argue," Thor said, gently but firmly, "He is correct that we will need a sorcerer to help us and we have none here to call upon... Please, Sif."

Sif grimaced and nodded, and Thor, wasting no more time, promptly fled the chamber.

"Come," Sif commanded without sparing Owen a glance. She sheathed her sword and set a fast pace out of the cavern.

_Humorless people_, Owen thought bitterly as he followed after her. It's no wonder Loki had ended up estranged from them.


	7. Lost Soul

It didn't take much longer for Alex to become utterly sick of walking. He grumbled his displeasure as he checked his phone for what felt like the hundredth time in ten minutes before continuing to walk, all enthusiasm lost from his step. Hunger nagged at him despite having just eaten the energy bars that he had stashed in his backpack, and he was already feeling cold again despite renewing the warmth spell.

_Screw the Middle Ages_, he thought as reached the rocky ridge of yet another hill and looked out over the endlessly unchanging landscape. He was vaguely wondering how disruptive it would be to the time stream to conjure a mountain bike or something when he noticed a small stone hut standing lonely on the edge of a grove of trees.

He whipped out his phone again and tapped madly at the screen before his eyes widened hopefully and the ghost of a smile crossed his lips. Slipping his phone back in his pocket, he hastily made his way down the rocky terrain, scattering loose gravel as he slid down the steep slope.

He approached the hut quietly, listening for sounds within. He heard the voice of a man chanting a mangled Latin incantation followed by a frustrated curse. His smile returned as swung his backpack around to the front to take out an old-fashioned letter sealed with a large wax seal and slipped it in the pocket of his cloak before returning his backpack to his back. Clearing his throat, he straightened his posture and knocked on the door.

It was answered by a scowling man with a long beard dusted with gray wearing dark flowing robes. In his arms, he carried a large leather-bound book that he clutched protectively to his chest as he glared at Alex suspiciously, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"Oh," Alex said pleasantly, "I'm delivering a letter." He groped around in the pockets of his cloak, briefly removing the Phoenix Gate before pulling out the envelope sealed with an elaborate wax seal.

The bearded man's eyes flashed greedily as he caught sight of the Phoenix Gate.

"You are the sorcerer Donnan who goes by the title of Archmage, correct?" Alex stated as he presented the letter to the man, who nodded and hesitantly took the envelope, unsealing it as Alex continued. "Prince Kenneth sends his condolences regarding your former mentor, the sorcerer Lachlan, who had served the king faithfully for more than ten years. Furthermore, the prince summons you into his service in honor of the occasion of the new king's coronation."

The Archmage barely glanced at the letter before he was looking up to examine Alex shrewdly.

Alex shifted a bit, "Would you like to write a reply?"

"No," the sorcerer said slowly, "Just tell him I accept... but... you had something else in your pocket." His lips curved into a guarded smile, "May I see it?"

Alex hesitantly let his hand sink back into the pocket of his cloak, removing the Phoenix Gate, "You mean this?"

The Archmage's eyes widened as he gazed longingly at the artifact, "Yes, what a pretty thing. Where did you get it?"

"Oh, I found it somewhere," Alex said simply, "I was getting tired of carrying it around, so I was going to trade it in town."

"I see," the sorcerer replied, excitement evident on his face, "In that case, perhaps I can offer you something for it?"

"A trade? Like what?"

The Archmage suddenly looked concerned. It was obvious by the state of his robes that he had been living as a hermit for quite a while. "Well, I don't have much, but..."

Alex fixed his eyes on the book in the sorcerer's arms. "What about that book?" Alex suggested casually, "That looks quite nice."

The Archmage hesitated. "Well, I – " he stopped mid-sentence as his eyes were drawn away from Alex, "Is that child with you?"

Confused, Alex turned to follow the man's gaze and saw Hakon standing a few steps behind him, looking on with curiosity. Alex bit back the obscenity that threatened to tumble from his lips and instead whispered harshly to the boy, "Why are you here? I told you to go home!"

Suddenly embarrassed, Hakon started and looked down at his feet, saying nothing.

Alex rolled his eyes in exasperation as he looked back to the Archmage and tried to compose himself again, "Sorry, um, you were saying?"

The sorcerer looked between Alex and Hakon, then finally spoke. "Very well. I'll give you the book for it."

Alex nodded resolutely, "Okay, we have a deal." He held out the Phoenix Gate and accepted the book in return.

Gazing steadily at Alex, the Archmage hastily tucked the Phoenix Gate into his robes.

"Well," Alex said, securing the book under his arm, "I guess I'll be on my way." He turned to leave and motioned for Hakon to follow.

As they walked away, the Archmage knit his brow in thought for a moment before his face set in determination. "Not quite yet," he said with a sneer, taking a few steps out the door, "I've decided I shall have my book back after all." Alex barely had time to give him a questioning glance before the Archmage shouted an incantation, "_Ventos venite!_"

A whirlwind sprung up that snatched Hakon off the ground before Alex could react and grab him. The boy screamed as the wind lifted him high above their heads and over to where the Archmage stood. The sorcerer laughed menacingly, "Give the book back to me and I shall return the boy to you safely."

Without thinking, Alex gritted his teeth and almost reflexively shot a beam of energy at the sorcerer. The Archmage surprised him by dodging the attack, which hit the wall behind him instead, blasting through the stone with a deafening crack that echoed through the surrounding hills.

The Archmage stumbled sideways with the force of the blast, and the whirlwind that was holding Hakon aloft vanished instantly. Alex had only a moment to create a cushion of air to soften the boy's fall. "Run!" he shouted to a terrified Hakon, who promptly turned his back and fled.

Taking advantage of Alex's lapse in concentration, the Archmage called out another incantation and summoned a bolt of lightning that Alex had no hope of avoiding. The sting of electricity threw Alex to the ground, momentarily unable to move as the book fell from his grasp.

In a flurry of movement, the Archmage lunged for the book, and Alex rolled over, desperately grabbing hold of it. They wrestled over the book until Alex gave the sorcerer a sharp elbow to the gut. Shocked by the sudden attack, the Archmage let go and fell to a knee holding his injured stomach scowling as he began another incantation.

Before he could finish, he was cut off by Alex punching him square in the face, and he crumpled to the ground. "I heard you were a jerk," Alex snarled, grabbing hold of the man's collar as he loomed over him, "but I didn't realize you were this much of a jerk."

"Mercy!" the Archmage shouted, raising his arms in surrender while Alex crouched over him, his hand raised and glowing, preparing a magical strike.

But the attack never formed as a bolt of lightning split the air, striking next to Alex and flinging him into the stone wall of the hut with a dull thud. Alex groaned in pain as he crouched by the wall, blinking madly to clear his darkened vision. Dimly, he could see a large figure closing on him quickly. Instinctively, he threw out an angry blast of energy in its direction, but the figure merely batted it away with a casual swing of his weapon, growling in annoyance.

"Oh, shit," Alex muttered as he realized his mistake when the imposing figure of Thor came into focus in a blur of silver and red. Gripped with panic, all Alex could do was become immaterial as Thor's hammer fell, swinging through his body as if it was air.

Thor didn't even seem to notice the lack of contact before he was swinging again. This time, Alex managed to move sideways and evade the hammer, but ended up stumbling backwards to land on the rough ground, looking up at Thor wide-eyed in fright.

Thor hesitated for a moment as he towered over Alex, his hammer raised and prepared to attack. Then a glint of silver around Alex's neck caught Thor's eye. Recognizing the Thor's hammer amulet, Thor slowly lowered his hammer as he looked Alex over.

Alex took a few heaving breaths as the adrenalin slowly left his system. "Thor?" he ventured cautiously, "What are you doing here?"

Thor seemed insulted by the familiar tone, "How do you know who I am?"

Alex smiled awkwardly, "Um, well, hammer, cape... It's kind of obvious... Uh, can I get up now?"

Thor frowned, but took a few steps back to give Alex room to stand up. "What were you doing attacking that man?" he asked, his voice low and tense.

"He attacked me first," Alex said almost casually, wiping the moist soil from his pants as he got up, "Where did he go anyway?"

"He fled once he was free of you."

"I wonder why," Alex said sarcastically as he found the large book on the ground and proceeded to store it away in his backpack.

Thor noticed Alex's backpack for the first time and looked the boy over again, taking note of his red hair. "Do you know a mortal named Owen?"

Alex looked up at Thor in surprise, "Yes, I do. Have you seen him?"

"You are the sorcerer Alex, then?" Thor asked, disappointment evident in his voice.

"Um... yeah."

"Then I beg you help my brother."

Alex frowned, unsure of what was going on, "What happened to Loki?"

Thor explained as best he could, all the while pacing anxiously next to Alex. "So, you know what to do?" he asked when he was finished, "You can help Loki?"

"Yeah," Alex answered, hoping he sounded more confident than he felt. Soul transference was one of the first lessons in magic he had received, but he knew it required willing participation on the part of everyone involved. Somehow he doubted that whoever had control of Loki's body would leave willingly.

Alex took off his backpack and removed the two devices and sphere of random parts that he had made with the laptop earlier.

"What are you doing?" Thor asked.

"I'm making what I hope will qualify as a body."

~.~.~.~.~

* * *

~.~.~.~.~

The Archmage looked back nervously over his shoulder as he paused to catch his breath. Once he was sure that no one was following him, he kicked the ground indigently, "Curse that boy!" He quickly reached into his robes and took out the Phoenix Gate, "At least I have a way to right things now."

He held the artifact aloft as he spoke the incantation, "_Deslagrate muri tempi et intervalia!_"

His eye twitched as he realized nothing was happening. In desperation, he tried the incantation again, only for it to still have no effect. Rage was beginning to boil up within him when a deep threatening voice spoke from behind him, "Still can't tell a fake from the real thing, hm?"

The Archmage swung around to see the figure of Loki walking leisurely towards him, his black cloak swirling in the wind. "Wh-who are you?" the Archmage stuttered.

"Oh, you may not recognize this body, but I believe you know my voice well enough," Loki said with a menacing smile.

The Archmage suddenly grew pale.

"I was your beloved mentor," Loki continued, "until my untimely death at your hands..."

"Lachlan..." the Archmage whispered weakly.

Loki nodded slowly, his eyes flashing with an eerie glow.

"But how?" the Archmage stammered in disbelief.

"Let's just say I got lucky with the exact cliff you decided to throw me off." Loki circled the man with slow deliberate steps, "I'm going to return the favor... but first I will take back what's rightfully mine." With cold eyes full of hate, he turned to face the Archmage directly, steepling his hands in front of him, "Where's my book? Where is the Grimorum Arcanorum?"

~.~.~.~.~

* * *

~.~.~.~.~

"Are you done yet?" Thor asked impatiently.

"No," Alex said, groaning in exasperation as he looked over the parts floating in the air before him, holding a half-finished device in his hands. "I'll need a few more minutes. This is more complicated than it looks, and I'm doing it from memory." He looked up at Thor accusingly, "So why don't you just shut – "

His voice fell away under Thor's glare.

Alex gulped and quietly corrected himself. "Um, be quiet... please," he added for good measure.

Thor looked away to scan the horizon and muttered to himself, "I don't like waiting..."

"Eager for a fight, warrior?" Loki said as he appeared in a gust of wind on the crest of a nearby hill, dragging the Archmage beside him, tied up in thick ropes.

Alex's head shot up. "Crap! Thor, buy me some time," he muttered as he refocused on his task with sudden urgency.

"You do not give me orders, mortal," Thor growled, his eyes fixed on Loki.

The Archmage struggled in his bonds beside Loki. "That's him," he mumbled, "That's the boy!"

With an angry grunt, Loki threw the Archmage to the ground and dashed towards Alex. Thor intercepted him, slamming into him like a freight train and toppling him onto the ground.

"Return my brother, you fiend!" Thor yelled, lifting Mjolnir in warning.

Loki merely grimaced, summoning a fireball that did little damage to Thor, but ignited the hut's thatched roof and the surrounding trees, sending plumes of black smoke into the air as the fires spread.

Alex paused his frantic work to douse a small fire that got too close with some summoned water before continuing, wiping away the sweat that was beginning to gather on his brow.

Amidst a jumble of battle cries and incantations, Loki and Thor continued their fight on the nearby hill. Somehow Loki was managing to keep Thor at a distance with magical attacks, while Thor persistently tried to get close enough to use physical attacks without much success. Thor seemed disoriented during the battle, expecting Loki's usual style of fighting and caught off-guard when he defied his expectations. Growling in frustration, he only ended up keeping Loki at bay.

"Yes," Alex exclaimed as he quickly examined his handiwork, rotating the finished cube-shaped device encased in black plastic in his hand, reaching inside with his magic to test the circuits and connections. He wasn't sure if it qualified as a robot brain. It certainly didn't have the full functionality of one, but he hoped it would at least serve its purpose. "It's done, Thor!" he shouted over the raging fire that still burned nearby.

"Now what?" Thor shouted back, calling forth lightning to attack Loki.

"We need to convince him to go inside it!"

"How?" Thor grunted as he deflected Loki's own lightning attack.

"Uh..." Now that Alex had a chance to see what was happening, he found himself distracted as he stood mesmerized by the fight between Thor and Loki. He discreetly slipped his phone out of his pocket and took a few photos.

"Is this really the time for that?" came a dry voice from behind him.

Alex turned to see Owen and Sif dismounting two horses. Owen calmly approached him while Sif rushed off to join Thor.

"Good to see you alive, Alexander," Owen said, nodding in greeting.

Alex grinned, "Was there any doubt?"

"Why haven't you started the soul transference?" Owen asked urgently.

"Well, for one, he needs to stay in one place."

"I'll put a binding on him, then you do the transfer."

"Okay, but he's not exactly willing."

"We'll have to try anyway. Do you have a body?"

"I hope," Alex said, lifting his makeshift device halfheartedly.

Owen lifted an eyebrow, but continued, "Okay."

Owen shimmered slightly, and Alex knew he was changing into Puck, probably keeping Owen's appearance for Thor and Sif's sakes. "We're ready," Owen called out to them, "try to get a hold of him."

Thor and Sif exchanged brief nods before rushing Loki, managing to break through his defenses and get close enough to grab each of his arms. He yelled out in protest as he fought against their grasp.

Owen approached quickly, reciting an incantation as he went, "_Invader of this creature's will; __C__ease your struggl__es__, grow calm and still!_"

Loki immediately stopped moving, his joints frozen and immovable, held up by Sif and Thor. "Filthy wretches!" Loki screamed, "No! Leave me alone! I won't – "

"Now, Alex!" Owen called out.

Alex took a deep breath before raising the black cube and beginning the incantation, "_For the spirit to be willing, the flesh must first grow weak; Just long enough for soul in flight to pass from cheek to cheek._"

Loki's mouth and eyes erupted in an ethereal glow that fled from his body in a streak of light that flung itself into the black cube that Alex held. Then all was quiet for a moment as Loki's eyes fell shut, his body still held bound by Owen's spell.

Alex looked hopefully at Owen, "Did it work?"

Owen considered at Loki carefully, but said nothing.

Loki's eyes flashed open, a grin creeping across his face, "Fools... you've lost." His voice remained unchanged, a stranger's voice coming from Loki's mouth.

The blast of energy that erupted from Loki's body threw Thor and Sif to the ground as Loki sprung free. Enveloped in shimmering light, Loki's form melted away into an old man with a long white beard who cackled maniacally.

Still bound in ropes nearby, the Archmage gasped in recognition, "Lachlan..."

"Yes," the old man answered triumphantly, "Your efforts have only allowed me to regain my true form! And now you shall be rewarded!"

With a wave of his hand, Lachlan liquified the earth beneath Thor and Sif. They sank down to their shoulders, then the earth grew solid again, trapping them within.

Without pause, Lachlan rushed towards Alex and Owen, roughly grabbing hold of their arms before he winked out of existence, forcing the pair to vanish along with him.

* * *

Moments later, Lachlan reappeared on a wide rocky stretch of shoreline, Alex and Owen tumbling to the ground beside him after the unexpected teleport. Alex immediately leapt to his feet, tucking the black cube under one arm to free a hand and preparing to attack the old man, but Owen grabbed hold his arm to stop him.

"Don't," Owen said quickly, "It's Loki."

"Loki?" Alex echoed, gazing at the old sorcerer who stood before him.

A mischievous grin spread across Lachlan's face as light shimmered across his body and he morphed back into Loki.

Alex's jaw dropped, "So, the transfer _did_ work?"

"Yes," Loki said, though he was smiling his voice was cold and dangerous, "The soul that possessed me is safe in that cube. Here, allow me." Loki drew the black cube from Alex's arm, admiring it for a moment before crushing it in his hand with brutal force.

Alex couldn't help but flinch, taking a step away from Loki before speaking again. "But he couldn't have gone in there willingly."

"I convinced him," Loki said quietly, gazing thoughtfully at the crushed cube, "Puck's spell gave me the opportunity to access my own magic and create a convenient illusion for his mind."

"And you were able to break my binding spell as well," Owen said conversationally, "I'm impressed. I can see why they tried to put you in chains."

Loki looked up in annoyance, as if he would rather not discuss that topic.

"But wait," Alex interrupted, "Why all the theatrics?"

"Oh, I suddenly remembered how long ago Thor told me a story about how he encountered a sorcerer wearing my face in the company of two mortals while on a trip to Midgard," Loki explained, tossing the ruined cube playfully in one hand, "It seemed as good a time as any to give reality to that story. Though it's convenient that he left out the part about being defeated so easily by him." He caught the cube and it ignited into flames, slowing dissolving into a molten mass of metal and plastic.

Owen abruptly turned to Alex, "Did you get what you came for?"

"Yep," Alex replied, removing the silver amulet and showing it to Owen, "That and more, apparently."

Owen gazed thoughtfully at the amulet for a moment before looking at Alex curiously, "I see."

"Well, next stop, Avalon, right?" Alex said with a smile, putting the amulet back on and tucking it inside his shirt.

Owen remained rooted to the spot, gazing strangely at Alex. Without warning, he morphed into Puck, shrinking down a few inches as he kept his eyes on Alex.

Alex shifted his weight, uncomfortable under the scrutiny, "Is something wrong?"

Puck sighed, "What are you hiding from me, Alex?"

"What are you talking about?" Alex asked, and it almost would have been believable if his hand hadn't instinctively moved to his backpack strap.

"The wards are well done, but you were clumsy with the dampening spells," Puck said, crossing his arms across his chest, "As much as I love surprises, I would prefer not to sneak something into Avalon that would get us executed."

Alex let out a heavy sigh, cursing under his breath as he took off his backpack. Loki looked on with curiosity as Alex removed the large leather-bound book.

"The Grimorum Arcanorum?" Puck said in disbelief, "Seriously, Alex? The Grimorum Arcanorum?"

"Hey, I know human magic isn't allowed on Avalon," Alex said quickly, "But we can hide it – "

"That's not the issue," Puck said, shaking his head in dismay, "That book has a role to play in history here. Don't you see that you can't just take it back to the future with you."

"But the past is set," Alex said emphatically, "So that means if I take it now, I will inevitably be able to return it once I'm done with it, right?"

"That would mean you'd need to keep the Phoenix Gate, which you agreed not to do."

"No, no, no. Don't you see? I will return the Gate," Alex explained, his eyes bright with enthusiasm, "That just means I will get it again sometime in the future in order to return the Grimorum... That's how it works, right?"

Puck was awestruck for a moment before the slightest of grins crossed his face, his eyes warm with admiration. "You know, Alex... Sometimes you are far too much like your father for your own good." He sighed and closed his eyes briefly before looking at Alex again, "But what if it only stays in the time stream because I stop you from taking it now?"

Alex smiled smugly, "Oh, come on, Puck. I know you better than that. You're just as curious to see if this will work as I am."

Puck cast his eyes to the side in thought. He seemed conflicted, his responsibility for Alex fighting with his natural inclination for mischief.

Loki smiled to himself and took a few steps towards Alex. "Perhaps I can settle this dispute," he said, reaching out to lay a hand on the book. It seemed to jump under his fingers before vanishing in a flash.

Puck quickly turned his head towards Loki, "What did you do?"

"Don't worry," Loki said, smiling reassuringly, "I've simply dropped it back to the place we just left."

Loki's smile widened as he returned his gaze to Alex, "A gift from me to you, young one. A lesson all little princes should learn... That's what this trip is all about, isn't it?" He clasped his arms behind his back and leaned over slightly to bring his face closer to Alex's in a subtle challenge. Alex glared back, refusing to move a muscle. "You're not as mighty as you think," Loki whispered, "There will always be someone more powerful."

Slowly, Loki stood up straight again and smirked, looking pleased with himself.

Fed up, Alex snarled in defiant fury, "Screw you, Loki! If it wasn't for me, you'd still have that whoever-it-was in your brain!"

"Then perhaps you will also learn that life isn't fair," Loki said calmly.

Alex clenched his fists, clearly imagining beating Loki to a pulp in his mind.

With the glee of a cat toying with a mouse, Loki stayed planted to the spot, grinning and silently daring Alex to try anything.

For a moment, it seemed like Alex might act on the challenge, his whole body tense with anger, until he finally seemed to think better of it. Instead, he groaned in frustration and turned to Puck for support, "Help me out here!"

"Oh, I'm staying out of this," Puck chuckled as he looked on in amusement.

Seeming satisfied, Loki turned away and looked out at the horizon, "So when do I get to see this Avalon."

* * *

_A/N: Sorry to leave the cliffhanger hanging for so long. This update was a bear to write and ended up way longer than I thought it would __be__. But the good news is that __now __you get two chapters in one update __with no cliffhangers this time__. :__) Meanwhile, I'll say a q__uick thank you to my wonderful beta-reader for helping out with these chapters!_


	8. Avalon

Loki sat happily morphing a colorful ball of vapor into various shapes in one hand while Alex glared at him from across the small wooden boat.

At the first opportunity, Loki had used his magic to change into one of his standard Asgardian outfits. It wasn't anything too formal, just a taste of the familiar after being forced to wear Midgardian clothes for so long. He seemed infinitely more cheerful now that he was back in familiar clothes with the familiar thrum of magic on his skin.

"Remind me again why I can't just throw him overboard," Alex asked irritably.

Owen gave a long-suffering sigh, "Besides the fact that the results of such an action would turn out infinitely worse for you than for him?"

Loki made a quick rotation of his hand, and the gaseous ball condensed into the shape of a skull. He looked sideways at Alex and smirked.

Alex scowled, folding his arms across his chest and sinking further down into the boat.

"Enough sulking, Alexander," Owen said quietly, "We're almost there."

The mists descended suddenly, engulfing them in gray nothingness for a few moments before slowly dissipating. It took a while for their eyes to adjust to the sudden darkness of nighttime on Avalon's waters, but they could eventually make out the dark mountainous island as it loomed closer, a faint blue light shining out from a small tower on the shore.

Unable to hide his curiosity, Loki leaned forward, his eyes roaming over the island before being drawn upwards to the sky overhead, dripping with countless stars. He let out a small chuckle as he searched the heavens for a familiar sign or constellation and found none, neither from Earth nor Asgard nor any other realm he had visited.

With perhaps more enthusiasm than he meant to show, Loki jumped from the boat as soon as it touched shore, quickly kneeling down to press his hand to the rocky ground. The earth hummed loud and clear with magic underneath his palm, although its song was a strange one, unintelligible to Loki's magical senses. He doubted that he could draw power from this place, but if he could, he had no doubt it would be vast and potent source.

"Some sort of pocket dimension that provides its own magical power," Loki muttered as he looked around, "You'll have to tell me how this place was created sometime, Puck."

Owen seemed to be lost in his own world for a moment until Loki called his name. He gave Loki a quizzical look, "I'm afraid I don't know."

"You don't know how your homeland was created?" Loki asked incredulously, "Not even a legend or myth or anything?"

Owen glared at him blandly, "Does Puck really strike you as the scholarly type?"

"Hm, good point." Instead, Loki turned to Alex expectantly.

Alex rolled his eyes unhappily, "Pfft, hell if I know."

Loki let out a frustrated breath, "How do you expect me to learn anything here with such useless tour guides?"

"We're not exactly here on a field trip," Owen said quietly, removing his backpack, "We need to attract as little attention as possible. Loki, that means no magic, if you can help it."

Loki seemed displeased, but nodded.

"Here, take this," Owen said as he offered his backpack to Loki.

Loki accepted the bag, surprised by the its weight, "What on earth do you have in here?"

"Iron chains," Owen said as he motioned for the others to follow him, leading them into the shadows of a dense orchard. A great stone castle lay in the distance lit warmly with firelight from within.

"What are you going to do with those?" Loki asked as he walked behind Owen, carrying the backpack swung over one shoulder and gazing up at the trees in curiosity.

"Alexander will be sending a letter," Owen explained as he took a meandering path through the trees, "He'll be sending his future self that silver amulet."

"To start his fortune?" Loki confirmed.

"Indeed," Owen said quietly, ducking under a low-hanging branch, "It's not worth much now, but in a thousand years it will sell for a decent sum."

"Why not just take it back with us?"

"If we do that, then it won't age. It might as well have been made yesterday. So we're going to give it to someone who can carry it while it ages naturally, then give it to Alexander in a thousand years."

"And who would that be?"

Owen paused and turned back to look at Loki, "Me."

Loki's brow furrowed slightly while he processed this information, "You mean you from the past? So... You already know whether this works?"

"Yes," Owen said, a note of irritation in his voice, "but knowing you two, certain never seems to equate to easy – "

"Wait," Loki interrupted, "The two of us? Why the two of us?"

Owen stared pointedly at Loki, "I thought you were more intelligent than this. Believe me, _I know_ it needs to be the two of you. _I remember_."

Loki crossed his arms indignantly, "Oh, so you did keep me around for a reason... And here I thought you were only interested in my charming personality."

Owen seemed somewhat offended, his jaw tightening minutely before he replied quietly, "You'll understand when you see me."

Loki frowned, "Hm, fine."

Owen turned around and continued walking, pulling Alex aside, "Now, when you get back from Titania's quarters – "

"Not Oberon's?" Alex blurted out.

"Would you really wish to run into Lord Oberon?"

"Oh," Alex conceded, "Right."

Owen stopped at a low stone wall that ran straight through the orchard and knelt down examining the stones closely. "When you're done, I'll meet you back here." He ran a single finger over the wall following a distinct path between the stones, and the dark entrance to a tunnel revealed itself in the ground below.

"Loki," Owen called, looking up to see Loki examining an apple hanging from a nearby tree. Loki nonchalantly plucked the fruit and slipped it into his jacket before giving Owen his attention. "Before you go," Owen said, somewhat hesitantly, "I'd like to apologize in advance for my behavior."

Loki raised an eyebrow at him.

"Just remember that I'm a millennium younger, and well, as you probably know, even immortals can be immature."

Loki was silent for a moment, considering Owen's words. "If there's going to be a problem, then come with us."

"I can't. I wasn't there."

"You don't remember seeing yourself there... but would you have noticed a mortal under an invisibility spell if he was there?"

Owen's eyes widened as he considered the idea for a moment. A slight smile rose on his lips, "Probably not, actually."

* * *

They descended into the tunnel, Alex leading the way with a small magical light in hand and Owen following last under a newly-cast invisibility spell. The passageway led them straight into the heart of Avalon's castle, and Alex guided them through the shadowy corridors directly to the heavy wooden doors of Titania's quarters.

"Can you handle the lock, Alexander?" whispered Owen's voice from behind them.

"'Course I can," Alex muttered, sounding offended, "I've been doing this since before you taught me how."

With a whispered spell, the door sprung open, and Alex gently pushed his way inside. The spacious room was richly furnished with colorful tapestries and rugs, dominated by a massive curtained bed in the center and, next to it, a large full-length mirror with a twisted sliver frame. Once everyone was inside, Alex quietly closed the door behind them, and another whispered spell sealed the room shut, insuring they would not be disturbed.

Loki looked on with interest as Alex set up a rather elaborate ritual spell in front of the standing mirror, taking the chains from the backpack and securing them across the mirror's frame before ringing a silver bell to begin the spell. The air grew dense and charged with magic as Alex recited a long incantation, pausing to blow a small feather towards the mirror. The feather melted into the surface of the glass as if it had become water. The flash of light that followed blinded Loki briefly, and when his vision cleared, a very displeased looking Puck sat bound in chains in front of the mirror.

Puck made a meager struggle against his bonds before glaring at Alex and Loki. "The chains are not a necessary part of the summoning spell, you know." He sighed heavily before grumbling to himself, "You'd think no one trusts me... When has the Puck ever been a poor guest?"

Puck glanced at the two of them then, a devious grin spreading across his face, and Loki suddenly grew anxious. Those eyes held a gleam of thinly veiled rebellion and sanity on the brink of snapping. It was eerily like looking into a mirror, and Loki realized very clearly that this was not going to work. Under these conditions, Puck would do everything in his power to be uncooperative. He was itching to cause chaos. They would need another tactic.

Loki swallowed thickly, "Free him."

Alex looked startled, "But this is the only way to – "

"Either you free him, or I will," Loki said quickly, "He doesn't need to be threatened. He'll listen to our request without the chains, isn't that right?"

Puck raised an eyebrow at this presumptuous behavior, wondering if he was missing something. "Do I know you?"

"Not yet," Loki stated coolly.

Alex looked almost panicked as he drew close to Loki, whispering harshly, "What the hell are you doing?! I swear, if you screw this up for me too, I'll – "

"Trust me," Loki responded quietly, his eyes never leaving Puck.

Alex shifted nervously, glancing behind him to where Owen presumably stood invisible as if to ask for advice before realizing that the action was useless right now. So he settled for scowling Loki for a moment before reluctantly stepping forward and unlocking the chains, freeing Puck.

Puck looked positively gleeful as he jumped into the air and vanished without a word.

Silence fell and Alex threw Loki a murderous glare, clenching his fists while Loki stared in shock at the spot that Puck had just vacated. This wasn't right. He should have stayed. Had Loki miscalculated?

"What?" came Puck's voice echoing indistinctly around the room, "Did you think I would stay to say thank you?"

Loki instantly relaxed and a smile spread across his face.

Puck's voice continued, "To bow down and – "

"How about a game, Puck?" Loki pronounced confidently.

There was a moment of silence, then a Cheshire cat-like grin materialized before them as Puck appeared, ghostly and transparent as if unsure whether to stay or not. "What kind of a game?"

Loki's eyes glinted playfully in the low light, "A sparring match. You do have those here, right? You against me. First one to hit the floor loses. No flying, of course."

Puck walked closer, growing more and more solid with each step. He paused an arm's length away and looked the pair over, sizing them up. "Hm, you two are certainly something different, aren't you? Well, not him so much," he waved vaguely in Alex's direction, "he's obviously of Avalon, but you..." His eyes locked on Loki, "You're something I've never seen before." He began to slowly circle Loki, gazing at him cryptically, "Where are you from, mysterious stranger?"

Loki smirked, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Puck paused in front of Loki and let out a burst of laughter, suddenly beaming with enthusiasm, "Oh, I like you."

Eyes shining merrily, Puck cocked his head to the side and carefully extended a hand to rest against Loki's chest. He had barely managed a basic scan of his magical power before Loki grabbed the hand and gently wrenched it away from his body, his gaze darkening in warning.

Puck's grin widened, "Such ferocious power courses through those veins... Hm, you may indeed be a match for me..."

Puck leapt back nimbly, planting both feet on the ground in a wide stance, "Very well. If I win, I want to know who you are and where you come from."

Loki nodded, "And if I win, you agree to fulfill our request."

"You have a deal. But no help from him," Puck indicated Alex with a tilt of his head, "I'll know if he interferes."

"Believe me, the last thing I want is his help."

Unable to stand by any longer, Alex grabbed Loki's shoulder to get his attention, "This is a very bad idea. You've never even fought him before. How do you expect to – "

Loki flashed Alex a smile, "Relax, little prince. Let the grown ups play."

Alex bristled at the comment, a retort on the edge of his lips, but instead he simply frowned before retreating a few steps.

Loki turned towards Puck, casually stretching out his arms, "Ready when you are, Fair Trickster."

Puck put on a crooked grin, "Such confidence... Don't expect me to go easy on you."

"I'd be disappointed if you did," Loki shot back, widening his stance and shifting his weight to the balls of his feet.

Puck laughed as he released a playful volley of three energy blasts that Loki dodged easily, zig-zagging as he rushed towards Puck and drew his knife. Puck was thrown on the defensive by the unexpected weapon, staggering backward until he had a moment's breath.

It was then that the carpet sprang to life beneath Loki's feet, undulating like waves and threatening to trip him. The distraction allowed Puck to put some distance between them, and by the time Loki had retreated to the safety of the stone floor, he realized that the bed curtains had been transformed into brightly patterned snakes that were moving like lightening towards him.

He managed to slice through two of them with his knife, but the other two caught hold of his legs, and he struggled to keep his balance and cut himself free at the same time. Finally, he flicked his wrist instead and the snakes around his legs disappeared in a burst of flames.

Grimacing in frustration, he looked up at Puck again. He could feel Puck weaving a complex spell, amassing dense ripples of magic around him like cloak, and Loki knew that whatever was coming next would probably end the fight. He had seconds at most before the spell was done. It was now or never.

He flung a series of fireballs at Puck to gain as much time as possible as he rushed towards where Alex stood watching the fight. Loki lunged forward grabbing Alex by the waist and vanishing with him in a teleport.

All grew quiet and Puck's eyes darted around the empty room for any sign of them. Alex reappeared in a flash of green light on the other side of the room, then another Alex appeared across from him, then another and another, until Puck was surrounded on all sides.

Puck laughed cheerfully, "It's no use hiding behind your friend." He clenched his fists as he released a wave of energy in all directions, aiming at every figure at once, but the wave never made contact. Instead it was reflected back at him from all sides, taking him by surprise and allowing Loki to run up from behind him, shedding his disguise as he went, and knocking Puck's feet out from under him with a low kick.

Puck landed flat on his back with a grunt as the ring of illusionary Alexes vanished, leaving the real Alex standing, somewhat dumbfounded, on the edge of the room.

Grinning with triumph, Loki leaned over to look down at Puck as he lay on the ground.

Puck's eyebrows drew down in confusion, "How did you do that? I didn't sense that shielding spell at all. It wasn't your friend's doing either..."

"You'll figure it out eventually," Loki said with a smile, stepping back to allow Puck room to get up.

Frowning slightly, Puck jumped up from the floor and dusted himself off. "Fine. You win. What do you want?"

Loki looked over to Alex who breathed a heavy sigh of relief before stepping forward. "I want you to deliver two letters for me," Alex said as he removed his backpack.

Puck looked unimpressed. "Is that all?" he sighed, pouting, "And you two looked so interesting."

Alex fumbled around with his backpack and removed two sealed envelopes. "You'll deliver this one to someone named Alexander Xanatos in New York City about a thousand years from now in the year 2014. It's instructions for what he needs to do to get the second envelope, which you'll deliver to him shortly after the first one. You'll know when the time is right."

Puck grabbed the offered envelopes with an irritated huff before letting out a resigned breath. "As you wish. The Puck keeps his word."

"I know you will," Alex said, finally letting a smile slip out.

"Something tells me you do indeed," Puck said, eying him with suspicion. It was clear he was beginning to have a good idea of exactly what was going on here. Puck glanced at Loki, "I'm guessing I'll be seeing you again?"

"If you're patient."

"Hm," Puck answered, looking at him thoughtfully before a mischievous grin spread across his face, "then keep your secrets for now, stranger. I look forward to meeting you again."

And with that, Puck let himself be pulled back into the mirror in a flash of blinding light.

A few moments passed in silence until, out of nowhere, Owen's voice spoke directly into Loki's ear, making him jolt a bit in surprise. "You little cheater," Owen said quietly, "So that's how you did it... You won by tricking me into attacking myself to defend Alexander... And here I thought you must have been such a powerful sorcerer to be able to defeat me."

Loki smirked as he turned towards the disembodied voice, "A wise sorcerer takes advantage of every resource available to him. Wouldn't you agree?"

Alex looked in Owen's direction as if suddenly remembering he was there before removing the invisibility spell with a few muttered words. "Took you long enough," Owen said, straightening his tie.

"Come on," Alex said quickly, "Let's get out of here before we're caught." He rushed over to the door, only to find it locked.

"What's wrong?" Loki asked.

"We can't get out. The room is magically sealed somehow..." Alex answered, running his hand over the polished wood of the door, "and it's not my spell."

The air around them began to shimmer and shift, and Alex suddenly looked panicked. "Titania... Someone summoned Titania..." He shot Owen a questioning glance.

"I'm sorry," Owen muttered, "I tried to explain earlier about my behavior. I'm afraid I used to be a very sore loser."

A delicate mist swirled through the room, slowly condensing until the thin form of a beautiful fairy creature stood before them with pale green skin, long straight hair, and large elvish ears, clad in silks of crimson and gold.

She looked down at them with a haughty expression, her eyes narrowed, "Such foolish creatures you must be to dare to enter my chambers without permission."

Loki tensed for a fight, but Owen quickly placed a hand on his shoulder to restrain him. "Lady Titania," Owen stated with a small bow, "forgive us, we meant no disrespect."

Titania looked at him with curiosity for a moment before her eyes widened in recognition. She gazed steadily at each of the others in turn. "Well, this is quite unexpected."

"My lady – " Owen began.

"Don't worry," she interrupted, "I know better than to ask too many questions in this situation... especially about _him_," she looked at Alex cryptically, "and why you two seem to be connected." She took a step towards Loki and looked him straight in the eye, frowning in displeasure, "However, I do wish to know, my little trickster, why you are associating with _this one_. Who is he?"

Owen looked away in discomfort.

"No lies, Puck," she said with a sigh, "I am in no mood for games today."

"He is Loki of Asgard, my lady."

Her eyes widened as she looked at Loki again, "An Asgardian?"

Loki narrowed his eyes at her.

"You did us a disservice to bring him here, Puck."

"And why would that be, my lady?" Owen asked.

"Why don't you ask him? Ask him what happened between Mab and Frey."

Loki gave her a puzzled expression.

"Or perhaps that was before your time? It was so very long ago. Few of us are left who remember when Odin saw fit to appoint his wife's father, Frey, to rule Alfheim. Did you think all of us would simply go along with that? Bow down to a foreigner? A Vanir? Simply because the All-Father told us to?"

"So, you are of Alfheim?" Loki breathed.

"Mab was cursed and driven mad by Frey's command and those who followed her in resisting his rule were banished ages ago. Alfheim no longer holds our allegiance. We are Light Elves no more. Avalon is our home now."

"I can assure you I have no sympathy for Odin," Loki said calmly, "I have no quarrel with you."

"And yet, I'm afraid we have a quarrel with you, Asgardian," Titania said in a sweet voice, holding her head high as she looked at him with contempt, "The others will be free to go, but Lord Oberon will decide your fate."

Loki's eyes flashed dangerously, "In that case, you've forgotten one very important thing."

"Hm, what would that be?" she answered serenely.

"Asgardians know the weakness of the Light Elves." With a quick flick of his wrist, the iron chains that had once held Puck flew towards her and wrapped tightly around her, pinning her arms to her sides. She roared in fury as the others sprung into action.

"The seal, Loki!" Owen shouted as he transformed into Puck.

"On it," Loki replied urgently, running to the door and pressing his hands to it.

"Fools!" Titania snarled, clenching her fists as a gust of wind circled the room, picking up speed until it was blowing with hurricane-force, roaring as it lifted furniture into the air.

"Cover us, Alex," Puck ordered as pieces of furniture began flying towards them.

"I'm trying," Alex yelled back, feverishly throwing up shield spells as the winds increased.

"How dare you!" Titania screamed, struggling against the chains as the massive four-post bed rose into the air, floating towards the three intruders.

"The seal's down!" Loki shouted, "Now, Puck!"

Puck swiftly grabbed hold of Alex and Loki, teleporting away with them in a flash of light just as the bed fell from above, crashing to the floor in a mass of splintered wood.

They reappeared a few inches above the small boat they had arrived in, creating a large splash as they fell, less than gracefully, into it.

Loki drew himself into a sitting position, "Who was that?"

"Lady Titania, mistress of Avalon," Puck replied.

"My grandmother," Alex offered, frantically trying to catch his breath.

Loki looked at him curiously, "That explains a lot."

Puck sighed sadly as he stood up and looked back at the island, "So much for my glorious return home..."

"We should leave," Alex muttered as he wasted no time in setting them out into the water.

Once they had drifted far enough away from the island, Puck reverted to Owen and reached into his suit jacket, taking out an old, yellowed envelope and offering it to Alex. "Congratulations, Alexander."

Alex looked confused for a moment before remembering the entire reason they'd come here in the first place. He grinned broadly, suddenly filled with enthusiasm as he took the envelope and tore it open, letting the silver amulet fall out into his hand.

Owen smiled slightly, a spark of pride in his eyes, "I think you owe Loki a word of thanks."

Alex glanced tentatively at Loki before looking away again. "Thank you, Loki," he said quietly.

Loki couldn't help grinning smugly as if this was some kind of victory.

Alex clenched his jaw in frustration as he tightened his fist around the amulet.

"What's wrong, Alexander?" Owen asked, "You accomplished your goal, didn't you?"

Alex sighed as he looked at Owen. "Not on my own," he looked away as if he was embarrassed, "It was supposed to be me on my own."

Owen's expression softened, "I wouldn't be too upset. Great men are not made on their own, Alexander."

Owen glanced over at Loki who, oblivious to Owen's gaze, was watching Avalon disappear into the gray mists.


	9. Honest Rewards

Loki looked on with curiosity as Alex pieced together the metal bracelets around his wrists, tiny wires and circuitry snaking around and fitting together seemingly of their own accord under Alex's magically magnified vision.

They had returned to the safety of Owen's apartment with the Phoenix Gate as soon as they left the mists of Avalon. Reluctantly, Loki had changed back into his Midgardian clothes and had been sitting for what felt like several hours while Alex reconstructed his magic-suppressing bracelets.

"There," Alex announced, fitting in the last piece of metal casing onto the bracelet with a practiced flourish, "Good as new, except, you know, they don't actually do anything except track your location."

Loki lifted his hands, examining the bracelets.

"They're exact replicas," Alex continued, "the only difference is here." He placed a finger to a point on the smooth metal just inside Loki's wrist. "Do you feel the magical controls inside?"

Loki pressed his other hand against the bracelet at the point Alex had touched. He closed his eyes briefly and nodded.

"You can use those to reprogram them to provide false tracking data whenever you want."

Loki raised an eyebrow, "You have some hidden talents, young Xanatos."

Alex grinned brightly, "Is that a compliment, Loki?"

"Just an observation," Loki said simply, standing up from the armchair to stretch his legs.

Owen walked over to Alex, setting his backpack down on the sofa next to him, "Ready to return the Phoenix Gate?"

The enthusiasm instantly drained from Alex's face, "Oh, come on... Can't we keep it?"

"You already agreed to return it," Owen said frowning, "Those were the conditions for me agreeing to help in this little adventure, remember?"

"It's just such a waste," Alex muttered, half-heartedly pulling the backpack closer to him to remove the artifact, "After all the trouble we went through to get it."

"You could always let me keep it," Loki chimed in, smiling pleasantly.

Owen sighed, raising his hand to massage his forehead, "Please, Loki. You're not helping."

Loki smirked, sitting down again in an armchair, "Well, it was worth a shot."

Owen folded his arms across his chest as he stood in front of Alex, "Our best chance to avoid arousing suspicion is to make it look like there was never a crime. Especially after the whole Hulk thing."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Alex said impatiently, rising to his feet. With a whispered spell, he reapplied his security guard disguise from the robbery and picked up the Phoenix Gate.

"Your parents want you home by dinnertime," Owen added.

Alex rolled his eyes before speaking the incantation and vanishing in a mass of flame.

Loki settled back into his chair, looking up at Owen, "Tell me something, Puck. What did you do that was so bad that you got stuck serving that mortal brat?"

"Serving Alexander isn't my punishment. I would have served him willingly."

Loki's eyes widened in surprise, "You'd willingly serve a mortal?"

"Yes, I'm quite fond of him and his family."

Loki looked disgusted.

"Mortals are not so bad once you get to know them. Well, some of them anyway," Owen said, sitting down on the sofa across from Loki, "You see, when I first met Alex's father, David Xanatos, twenty years ago, he hired me as you see me now, as the mortal Owen Burnett. Naturally, before long, I couldn't resist revealing my true nature as Puck to him. I gave him a choice: one wish from the Puck or a lifetime of service from Owen. A simple enough bargain, I had thought. Mortals are so predictable. Imagine my surprise when he chose Owen. I have to admit his choice impressed me. However, Lord Oberon of Avalon was less than pleased when I sided with Mr. Xanatos against him. He banished me and restricted my powers."

Loki hummed thoughtfully, "And you've been serving the Xanatos family all this time? How can you stand it? If it were me, I would have had those weaklings kneeling before me long ago."

"It has nothing to do with one's strength. You've seen my magic. You know but a fraction of the power I possess. Would you think _me_ weak for choosing to serve instead of lead?"

"It's in your nature," Loki muttered offhandedly.

"Hardly," Owen said, leaning back into the sofa, "You saw me when I was younger. You know that's not true."

Loki rested his chin on his hand, offering a soft non-committal grunt.

Owen looked away, pausing for a moment before speaking again, "I think I simply found the right person to follow."

Loki watched Owen, considering him thoughtfully.

Owen took a deep breath and straightened up in his seat, looking at Loki again, "Once you've had your fun with the Avengers, if you ever need anything, feel free to look us up. You have my card. Mr. Xanatos has plenty of room in his own building. In fact, he's already housing several guests who wish to keep a low profile. He'd be happy to have you."

Loki smiled knowingly, "Only if I do something for him, right?"

Owen chuckled, "Well, yes, of course. That's how these things work." He grinned broadly, "But I can assure you working with Mr. Xanatos will never be dull."

"I can imagine," Loki answered cheerfully as he stood up to leave, "I shall keep that in mind."

"Oh, before you go," Owen said quickly, "May I ask one more favor of you?"

Loki nearly laughed out loud, "Haven't you asked enough of me today?"

Owen looked almost solemn, "I know, and I apologize. It's... it's a personal request, and I thought perhaps – "

"Make your request, Puck," Loki said with a bemused smile, settling back into his seat.

Owen cleared his throat before leveling Loki with a serious gaze, "I would ask you to show me how to perform magic."

Loki's eyes widened in surprise, "You want me to teach you magic?"

"Yes."

"But I've seen your magic," Loki said, furrowing his brow in confusion, "If anything, your magic is just as strong as mine."

Owen sighed, "I believe I mentioned the current limitations on my magic?"

Loki nodded.

"Lord Oberon has decreed that I can only transform into Puck in order to train or protect Alexander. However, I suspect this decree works by preventing the manifestation of my magic and not cutting off my connection to it. After all, I can still transform into Puck under the right conditions. Therefore, Owen's mortal form must still possess a natural affinity for magic."

"So you mean to make Owen a user of magic in his own right?"

"Precisely," Owen nodded, "Now, I'm not an expert on mystical lore – "

Loki rolled his eyes and mumbled, "Why am I not surprised?"

"But I suspect that the magical circuits you draw on for your own magic are different from mine, or at least different enough that if I could learn to tap them then I could bypass Oberon's decree. After all, surely Oberon can lay no claim to your powers as he can to mine."

Loki leaned forward in his seat, undeniably interested. The study of magic had been a life-long passion of his, but he had never really considered the magic of other races and how it related to his own. "I'm impressed... That may actually work," he said eagerly, "How do we test it?"

"We could start with a basic spell. You teach it to me, as you learned it yourself."

Loki proceeded to walk Owen through one of the first spells he had ever learned, a simple fire spell. The theoretical explanation alone took several hours and many pages of scribbled notes on the coffee table. Yet, not surprisingly, Owen was a quick study and once they had progressed to the practical application of the spell, it took Owen less than an hour of intense practice before a small spark of fire erupted in his hand.

Loki watched with increasing envy as first fire crackled in the palm of Owen's hand, then a slender ice crystal formed, then lightning danced on his fingertips, all of which were spells that had taken Loki months of practice to master. "How can you do that without knowing the incantations?" Loki muttered with unrestrained awe.

Owen turned to him, surprise in his voice, "I don't know. I can just feel them."

With the fire spell as an anchor, it seemed as if the entire scope of Aesir magic was gradually opening up for Owen. He stood and paced around the room, trying different gestures and hand rotations. His experimentation produced various effects from brightly colored mists to a small explosion that ignited one of the armchairs, leaving Loki scrambling to summon enough water to put out the crackling flames.

After another half an hour of trial and error, Owen froze in his tracks and turned to Loki, "Ah, that's what I was looking for." His body shimmered and glowed briefly as he melted into Puck's elvish form. He grinned, "An interesting way of doing it, but I suppose it works."

Recognizing one of his favorite illusions, Loki let out a small laugh. "But you're not your immortal self again, right?"

Puck's smile faded slightly, "Indeed. I'm still merely the mortal Owen Burnett masquerading in Puck's form. But who knows? Maybe your magic has some way of allowing me to truly become Puck again. Perhaps I can find it in time." He twirled around, stretching his arms out happily. Loki noted that his new form seemed to let slip his original personality. "I almost feel free again. You have my sincere gratitude."

Loki smiled in recognition as he watched Puck sprawl out on the sofa continuing to try out different spells, humming quietly to himself. Loki had felt the same joy earlier after finally being reunited with his magic after being so long without it, and he had a strange sense of satisfaction at seeing Puck's honest reaction.

Loki rested his head in his hand leaning on the arm of the chair, lost in thought. He couldn't remember the last time he had just sat with someone like this. No expectations, no agendas, just the simple company of another person. It was almost a moment of peace.

The minutes slipped by until Loki was startled by a loud banging on the door of the apartment. He quickly stood up, cursing under his breath. He had lost track of time and completely forgotten that the tracker in his bracelets was working again. Puck jumped up from the sofa, glancing briefly at Loki before leaping into the far corner of the room where he couldn't be seen from the door.

There was more impatient pounding on the door, and Loki could easily tell who it would be before he opened it to find Thor standing there looking very anxious.

Relief washed over Thor's face when he saw his brother across the threshold. "Loki," he panted, sounding like he had just run a marathon, "Your curfew... What happened? Are you well?"

Loki sighed. Leave it to Thor to assume this was all not Loki's fault. "I'm fine, Thor. I just lost track of time." For once, he could tell the truth.

"But why are you here in this strange place?"

Loki was about to respond when a deep authoritative voice traveled over from the corner of the room where Puck was hiding, "I was the one who called him here." An appropriately grumpy looking Nick Fury emerged next to Loki in the doorway, "Just checking in."

"Oh, Director Fury," Thor said, unchecked surprise showing on his face, "I thought Stark said you were traveling."

"Does Tony look like the one who's running everything here?" Fury said in annoyance.

Thor's brow furrowed, but he said nothing else.

"Well, we're done here," Fury stated matter-of-factly, "I trust you can escort Loki back to Stark Tower?"

Thor nodded, and Fury gave Loki a small shove towards him.

"Oh, and Thor?" Fury added, "Tell Tony to stop being such a dick."

Thor blinked in confusion, and Loki had to fight to keep a straight face.

"But seriously," Fury continued, leaning closer to Thor and lowering his voice, "This stays between the three of us. You didn't see me here. Are we clear?"

Thor nodded solemnly before turning away, "Come, brother."

Loki caught a glimpse of Puck's unrestrained grin on Nick Fury's face before the door to the apartment swung shut.

* * *

"Mr. Xanatos."

David Xanatos looked up from his desk and leaned back calmly in his chair, "Ah, Owen. How did Alex do on his little adventure?"

"Truly, sir, he takes after you in every respect. Including having things miraculously work out in his favor."

Xanatos smiled as he shuffled through some papers on his desk, "Any progress on getting Loki as a future consultant?"

"I believe you might be hearing from him soon."

"Excellent. And the Phoenix Gate?"

"Back where it belongs."

"Good. Well, we can't let that go to waste. Let's move to get it back in our possession as soon as possible, shall we?"

"I'll organize something within the week, sir."

–:) _fin_ (:–

_A/N: Finally done! This is officially the longest piece of fiction I've ever written. It grew out of the desperate need to see Puck, Owen, and Loki interacting, so I wrote the first chapter, and somehow it spiraled out of control from there. Anyway, thanks for reading ^_^_


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